Student Harassment

Wichita, KS: (Feb-01-08) The family of two girls brought charges against the Wichita School District, alleging that the girls were sexually harassed at South High School by another student. The lawsuit, filed in May 2005, alleged that a male student made inappropriate advances toward one of the girls about a dozen times. It further stated that the school district's sexual harassment policies were not enforced or taken seriously by many staff members. Sources stated that the district destroyed its discipline files each year, making it difficult for staff to recognize that a student could have a pattern of harassment. An expert witness also said that the district did not adequately document reports of harassment or clearly state procedures for employees to follow when reporting harassment.

As part of a settlement reached, sources close to the case stated that the Wichita School District has agreed to pay $45,000 to resolve the lawsuit. District officials claimed that the district disputed the merits of the lawsuit, but settled it to avoid more costly future legal expenses. The payout will be covered out of the district's self-insurance fund. School sources said that the school board reviewed its policies while the suit was pending and ended up changing them rather dramatically following settlement. [WICHITA EAGLE: STUDENT HARASSMENT]

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Published on Feb-4-08