Maryland Accident Law Blog
The Baltimore Board of Estimates, a subcommittee of the Baltimore City Council, is expected to approve a $50,000 settlement related to a Baltimore middle school student. The family of a female student claims that she was victimized by a man working there who acted as her mentor.The settlement would resolve the $100,000 lawsuit initially filed by the family against the city school system.
The police began an investigation in December of 2011, following a phone call from the girls mother, alleging that the student had been groped. The mother told police that she had earlier received assurances from the school regarding the man’s character when she raised concerns that he was taking the girl out of class repeatedly for mentoring purposes. The suspect also apparently mentored several other girls at the school, whom he also removed from class repeatedly.
The incident prompting the civil suit occurred after school in December of 2011, when the man reportedly drove the young girl to a nearby park, and after watching some movies on an ipad, began to touch the young girl’s breasts and back, and also rubbed baby oil on her back. Then, due to the park’s closing, he drove to a second location, where he attempted to kiss the girl on the side of the neck. The girl then expressed her discomfort and asked to be taken home. She told police that this was not the first incident.
The allegations in the lawsuit accuse the school of negligently hiring the man, and in not running a background check on him. Court records indicate that he has a record including convictions for theft, assault and destruction of property.
Adding confusion to the situation, school officials have denied that the suspect had any official role as a mentor at the school. If that is the case, it remains unclear why the school would allow the man to remove students from official class time.
Criminal charges are currently pending.
Although the details of the case are not readily apparent, the girl’s attorney made several statements regarding the school’s alleged gross negligence in hiring the man. Presumably, there are also allegations regarding the fact that he was allowed to spend extended periods of time with these girls, and that the family was reassured that he was safe for their daughter to be around. If the school was truly negligent in the way it went about its hiring, and later supervising, processes, then it should be held liable for the damages suffered by the girl, and her family. Though it can be hard to quantify, the point of the civil law system is to attempt to compensate individuals for the harms that they have suffered.
If you or a loved one has been harmed in Maryland or Washington D.C. due to someone else’s negligence, consult the experienced personal injury attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers. Our law firm has extensive experience in helping victims recover the damages they are entitled to. We have successfully represented individuals hurt in many different kinds of accidents, including medical malpractice, car accidents, birth injuries, and slip and fall accidents. Contact us today in order to schedule your free initial consultation. You can reach us through our website, or by calling 1-800-654-1949.
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Judge Allows Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Church to Proceed, Maryland Accident Law Blog, published September 23, 2013
Baseball League Faces Lawsuit over Allegedly Dangerous Bleachers, Maryland Accident Law Blog, published September 17, 2013