A Missouri special education student said in a lawsuit that school officials ignored her when she reported being raped - and even made her write an apology to the boy who violated her.
Officials at Republic Middle School in Republic did not believe the girl when she reported the sexual assault and rape during the 2008-2009 school year, her lawsuit charges, the Springfield News-Leader reported.
The then seventh-grader, who was not identified, was forced by school officials to write a letter of apology and personally deliver it to the boy she had accused, her suit says.
She was then expelled and referred to juvenile authorities for filing a supposedly false report, the paper reported.
The student was readmitted to the school at the start of the following school year, and was again sexually assaulted by the same boy, her suit said. He forced her into sex in the back of the school's library in February 2010, the paper reported.
The girl's mother then took her to a child advocacy center, where an examination proved sexual assault and turned up DNA evidence that matched the boy she had long accused of tormenting her, the paper reported.
The boy later pleaded guilty to the charges in a juvenile court.
The student's lawsuit alleges misconduct on the part of school officials and says they failed to notice important information in her school file, the paper reported.
Her file included a psychological report, "which clearly indicated that the girl was conflict adverse, behaviorally passive, and 'would forego her own needs and wishes to satisfy the requests of others around so she can be accepted,'" her suit reads.
The Republic School District denied the charges in the lawsuit, which was filed on July 5, the paper reported. The district even blamed the student in a July 29 response to the suit, insisting that she neglected to use reasonable means to protect herself, the paper reported.
Damages that she suffered "were as a result of negligence, carelessness, or conduct of third parties over whom the district ... had neither control \[over\] nor the right to control," the district's response says.
Republic Middle School in lawsuit after ignoring, expelling student who claimed she was raped
Officials at Republic Middle School in Republic did not believe the girl when she reported the sexual assault and rape during the 2008-2009 school year, her lawsuit charges, the Springfield News-Leader reported.
The then seventh-grader, who was not identified, was forced by school officials to write a letter of apology and personally deliver it to the boy she had accused, her suit says.
She was then expelled and referred to juvenile authorities for filing a supposedly false report, the paper reported.
The student was readmitted to the school at the start of the following school year, and was again sexually assaulted by the same boy, her suit said. He forced her into sex in the back of the school's library in February 2010, the paper reported.
The girl's mother then took her to a child advocacy center, where an examination proved sexual assault and turned up DNA evidence that matched the boy she had long accused of tormenting her, the paper reported.
The boy later pleaded guilty to the charges in a juvenile court.
The student's lawsuit alleges misconduct on the part of school officials and says they failed to notice important information in her school file, the paper reported.
Her file included a psychological report, "which clearly indicated that the girl was conflict adverse, behaviorally passive, and 'would forego her own needs and wishes to satisfy the requests of others around so she can be accepted,'" her suit reads.
The Republic School District denied the charges in the lawsuit, which was filed on July 5, the paper reported. The district even blamed the student in a July 29 response to the suit, insisting that she neglected to use reasonable means to protect herself, the paper reported.
Damages that she suffered "were as a result of negligence, carelessness, or conduct of third parties over whom the district ... had neither control \[over\] nor the right to control," the district's response says.
Republic Middle School in lawsuit after ignoring, expelling student who claimed she was raped