Former student-athlete sues Bloom-Carroll over former athletic director's alleged sex abuse

A former girls basketball player at Bloom-Carroll High School has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Columbus alleging the school district did nothing to protect her from ongoing sexual abuse by the now-former athletic director.

The lawsuit also accuses the Bloom-Carroll Local School District of being aware of allegations of misconduct by former Athletic Director Chad Little and doing nothing to protect student-athletes, particularly those he coached on the women's basketball team. The Ohio Department of Education is also named as a defendant.

The student-athlete played for Little between 2018 and 2020, according to the lawsuit, and was targeted for "sexual grooming" by Little for more than two years.

Little was arrested Sept. 20 and charged with sexual battery. He has entered a not guilty plea to the charges against him. Bloom-Carroll Local Schools immediately placed Little on leave following his arrest.

In a statement, Bloom-Carroll Local Schools Superintendent Shawn Haughn, who is a defendant in the lawsuit, said Wednesday that the school district "promptly and thoroughly investigates" reports of sexual assault or abuse.

"All of us work in education because we care about children," Haughn said. "We’re sickened by these charges. We are cooperating — and will continue to cooperate — with law enforcement in every way possible to see that justice is done."

More charges filed:Chad Little indicted on four felony counts of sexual battery

In the lawsuit, the woman said Little spent "an inordinate amount of time" with her, including inviting her to his home, privately communicating with her and asking about her personal life.

"Little's grooming ... was so open and obvious that other BCHS students and staff believed there was a physical relationship between the two of them," the lawsuit said. "Little was even questioned by other basketball players about Little's grooming and abuse."

The relationship became "overtly sexual" in 2018 when Little engaged in "inappropriate physical contact" with the woman while on a team bus returning from a basketball game.

"Little's grooming," the lawsuit said, "... eventually escalated to the point where they engaged in sexual activity, initially in Little's office following basketball games."

The lawsuit alleges that Little would tell the woman that "if anyone found out what they were doing, 'I will go to jail,' 'I will lose my kids,' and 'I will kill myself'." Little is also accused in the suit of using physical violence during sexual encounters.

The Dispatch is not naming the woman because she is a victim of sexual abuse.

Initial reporting:Bloom-Carroll athletic director charged with sexual battery reprimanded by state earlier

Following his arrest, information came to light that showed Little had been involved in a consent agreement with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to avoid being suspended. That agreement required 24 hours of training on professional boundaries, as well as community service.

After Little's arrest, details emerged that the athletic director had entered into a consent agreement with the ODE in September 2020 to avoid suspension. At the time of this agreement, Little had been athletic director at Bloom-Carroll High School for 15 years.

According to the lawsuit, Bloom-Carroll first became aware of allegations against Little in 2013, when they got complaints about Little inappropriately texting student-athletes. At that time, he received a reprimand and was directed to stop texting individual athletes or risk losing his position as coach.

That same year, both Bloom-Carroll and the ODE were alerted to complaints, as well as Carroll police and the Fairfield County Sheriff's office. Law enforcement made the district aware of the complaints, according to the lawsuit.

Two years later, in 2015, the school district again received complaints about Little inappropriately texting students, according to the lawsuit, including messages where Little offered to provide alcohol for students.

Additional allegations were levied in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Those allegations included a student living in Little's home, Little being photographed at dinner with a female student, private text messaging with student athletes and implications that Little was involved in a physical relationship with a student.

Haughn, a defendant in the lawsuit, was supposedly told about Little's inappropriate behavior in 2021 and Haughn responded by calling the reports "rumors," according to information provided by Leeseburg Tuttle, who is representing the woman who filed the lawsuit.

In a statement, Haughn said that he could not comment on individual incidents due to privacy laws, he said sexual assault or abuse allegations are investigated by Title IX standards.

"As the Superintendent and father of three daughters that attend school in the District, the safety and wellbeing of our students is my top priority," Haughn said in a statement.

High School Principal Nathan Conrad, Vice Principal Jan Wisecarver, the district's school board and district Title IX Coordinator Cynthia Freeman are also named as defendants.

"Despite these, and other reports and complaints about Little ... the District took no action to appropriately discipline, supervise or otherwise report Little's behavior to law enforcement and the Department of Education," the law firm said in a statement.

The woman provided a statement as well, saying her heart goes out to survivors whose voices were silenced.

"I stand with you, I am in your corner and the cycle breaks now," the woman said. "I found my voice to bring light to the abuses and hope I can inspire others to do the same. Nothing will ever make up for the time, memories and experiences I missed out on, but I can only pray that time will start to heal the wounds that people no longer see."

The law firm is asking anyone who has additional information or may have been a victim of Little's to reach out to them at 614-221-2223 or by emailing attorney Craig Tuttle at ctuttle@leeseberglaw.com. People who come forward can do so privately.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former student sues Bloom-Carroll over former AD's alleged sex abuse