PPS, others accused of failing to protect 9-year-old from sexual assault, sued for $9M
Editor’s Note: The content in this story is graphic, and may be disturbing to some readers.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Public Schools and Multnomah County are among the defendants being sued for failing to protect a 9-year-old girl from sexual assault, court documents allege.
According to the court documents, the young girl was repeatedly inappropriately touched by male students at Scott Elementary School during school hours and at an after-school care program.
The repeated incidents, which the court documents said happened during the 2021-2022 school year, involved male students touching her vaginal area over her clothes, several incidents where she was kissed without consent, and one incident where two boys raped her in a school bathroom.
In the latter incident, the court documents said that the girl was threatened by the boys and they forced her into a bathroom stall and locked the door, blocking any escape attempts.
Former Boeing employee: ‘Talk is cheap’
The lawsuit alleges that the school learned about the incidents and didn’t contact the police or the victim’s parents, instead opting to launch an internal investigation.
When confronted about the incidents by the girl’s father, the school and PPS staff told him that the two boys accused of being involved in the bathroom rape incident would remain at the school with a safety plan in place, which included separate lunch times, the court document said.
Following the incidents, the lawsuit details that the victim still suffers psychological effects including “emotional trauma, pain, suffering, emotional distress, shame, embarrassment, social anxiety, difficulty with concentration, academic setbacks, diminished self-esteem and sense of security, mistrust in the intentions of others and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
The family of the child is suing Portland Public Schools, and Latino Network and Multnomah County who jointly ran the SUN afterschool program for $9 million, citing negligence, special relationship, and abuse of a vulnerable person.
Florida woman accused of laundering $1.4M in Portland affordable housing funds
The court documents focus on the failures of the school and aftercare program to respond properly or take action when they knew, or should have known, about the incidents and should have taken action, but never did.
In response to the allegations, Portland Public Schools provided the following comment to KOIN 6 News:
The district learned of these new allegations last week when we received the lawsuit, and we are investigating. We are mandatory reporters, meaning we must report any instance of possible child abuse and neglect. We take our responsibilities as mandatory reporters seriously and follow the law around reporting.
Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.
Subscribe Now
KOIN Breaking News Alerts
Latino Network also shared a statement saying that they take allegations very seriously and that they want to affirm that no staff members were involved in the incidents.
As a community-based organization committed to trauma-informed practices, this news is painful to our staff, our board, and the communities we serve. We take the allegations very seriously and are working with our legal representation to provide counsel to our organization. We want to affirm that the allegations of sexual assault are not directed towards any current or former Latino Network staff member. Because this is active litigation and to preserve confidentiality for the privacy of any participants involved, we cannot share the specifics of the incident and must focus on how to continue to care for our staff, our community, and our families.
Multnomah County told KOIN 6 News they do not comment on ongoing litigation.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, crisis support is available through the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) using its 24-hour National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or click here for more online resources.
This is a developing story. Stick with KOIN 6 News for updated information.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
