Soroka & Associates - Personal Injury Lawyers

Sexual Abuse By Teachers

Legal support and dedicated advocacy for student survivors in Ohio

Teachers and other school officials play an important role in the growth and development of their students. Unfortunately, some educators take advantage of the close relationship to commit devastating acts of abuse. At Soroka & Associates, our team fights on behalf of survivors and their families. If you or your child has been harmed by a teacher or school official, we’re prepared to help you seek justice and accountability.

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Soroka & Associates, LLC in Columbus

Why choose Soroka & Associates?

Sexual abuse can change the entire trajectory of a person’s life. With something so harmful, it’s critical to find a legal team with proven experience representing survivors of institutional abuse. At Soroka & Associates, our team strives to protect survivors’ dignity while fighting to hold institutions and abusers accountable for their actions or failures. We never back down, even when facing powerful institutions like the church, public or private schools, and other organizations. If you or a loved one suffered sexual assault or abuse at a school, contact us today for a free, confidential, and no-pressure consultation with an experienced lawyer.

Understanding sexual abuse by teachers

Sexual misconduct by teachers happens more often than many people realize. In fact, about one in ten students will experience some form of sexual misconduct by a teacher prior to high school graduation. These instances may involve a variety of behaviors, including inappropriate sexual conduct, contact, or relationships between students and educators or staff members.

Because teachers have a relationship with their students, the abuse may take place more subtly and be hard to identify at first. Grooming conduct, which involves emotional manipulation and coercion rather than overt force or assaults, is a common feature in these instances. Teachers groom their students to gain their trust, and then sexually abuse or assault these students.

While some misconduct involves physical abuse, other times it may include verbal harassment or inappropriate messages, but stops short of outright sexual contact. In all cases, it’s important to report the conduct and hold the abuser accountable.

Why students are especially vulnerable

Teachers, through their role, are one of the most important early authority figures for children and teens. There is a clear power imbalance between a teacher and their students. Educators also have easy access to their students, as scheduling one-on-one meetings or tutoring is relatively normal and expected from professionals in their role. Students also often develop an attachment to teachers as individuals they can count on and trust. Sadly, that trust can open the door for abusers to take advantage of students.

On top of all this, students may fear that displeasing their teacher or rejecting advances could result in consequences such as disciplinary action or poor grades. There is often an added fear about peer reactions if the abused student speaks out. All of these factors contribute to student vulnerability—and to the high prevalence of abuse by teachers compared to other school officials, including coaches.

Common signs of grooming in school settings

Grooming by a teacher may be overlooked because it could appear as mentorship or simple favoritism. The trope of the “teacher’s pet” might cause many people to dismiss behaviors that are actually harmful and meant to break down boundaries and lead to more overt types of abuse. Some signs that a teacher might be grooming a student include the teacher engaging in the following:

  • Offering a student gifts, giving them special privileges, or excessively praising them
  • Seeking unsupervised time with the student outside class hours, like scheduling one-on-one tutoring sessions or meetings about school activities
  • Maintaining secretive communications with the student, such as through private messages or social media
  • Making inappropriate comments or discussing personal sexual topics with the student
  • Encouraging the student to hide the relationship or keep secrets from others, especially their parents
  • Undermining the authority of parents or other school staff, possibly by claiming they’re overprotective or overreacting if they express concerns
  • Expressing jealousy or possessiveness over the student’s attention or time

Grooming is a manipulative and effective tactic abusers use to control their victims. Abusers can take anywhere from a matter of days to years to groom someone. The average, according to studies, is around one and a half years, and they don’t just focus on the child. Grooming may involve steps to make the parents and even the community trust the abuser and dismiss their suspicious conduct. It’s essential to recognize this so that you never blame yourself or the student for an abuser’s calculated manipulations.

What are the signs of sexual abuse by a teacher?

Some of the signs of sexual abuse of your child include discussion about a new friend, having money or gifts that can’t be explained, exhibits adult like sexual behaviors, distractions, and difficulty sleeping.

Other signs include the following:

Signs in younger children

  • Bed-wetting and thumb sucking
  • New words or expressions for private parts of their body
  • Being uncomfortable when removing clothes at appropriate times (bathing, toileting, going to bed, and diapering)
  • Copies adult-like sexual conduct with their toys

Signs in adolescents

  • Sexual promiscuity
  • Burning or cutting
  • Improper personal hygiene
  • Substance abuse
  • Leaving home
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Fear of being close or intimate
  • Attempts at suicide
  • Poor nutrition

Physical warning signs

  • Pain during urination and bowel movements
  • Bleeding, pain, discharge, or discoloration in the genital areas, mouth, or anus
  • Soiling accidents not related to toilet training

Institutional failures that enable abuse

Unfortunately, officials and others at schools often allow teacher sexual abuse to persist because they fail to act, even if there are clear warning signs that something is wrong. A recent report showed that some teachers are allowed to continue teaching even after being subject to multiple sexual abuse allegations.

Some common ways that institutions might neglect to take appropriate actions to prevent abuse include:

  • Ignoring complaints from their students or the parents
  • Failing to properly vet teachers through thorough background checks
  • Shielding abusers in an effort to protect the school’s reputation or funding
  • Allowing a suspected abuser to resign quietly or move to another school rather than holding them accountable

Who can be held liable for school sexual abuse?

If a teacher abuses a student, they can be liable, but they aren’t the only ones who might bear legal responsibility for the abuse. Often, the school principal, administrators, the school district, and any staff who fail to report suspected abuse may also share legal liability in these cases. In Ohio, educators are mandatory reporters, which means they can face severe legal consequences if they fail to report suspected abuse of a student.

Filing a civil sexual abuse lawsuit in Ohio

Civil lawsuits serve several purposes. First, they hold the abuser and negligent institutions accountable. A civil case can also provide financial compensation for a survivor’s therapy, medical care, educational disruption, and emotional suffering. Finally, it may also serve as a deterrent to prevent future instances of abuse.

While the state may also pursue criminal cases in some instances of sexual abuse, a criminal conviction will not directly compensate the victim, nor will it hold the institution that allowed the abuse to occur or persist accountable.

Importantly, survivors need to understand that Ohio does place a time limit on their ability to file a civil case. Childhood victims can file until they are 30 or within 12 years of their 18th birthday.

The critical takeaway is that there could be a legal remedy, even in cases where the abuse occurred many years ago. Speak to an attorney to learn more about your options.

What to do if you suspect a teacher is abusing a student?

If you suspect a teacher is abusing your child or a student you know, it’s important that you speak out. Some of the steps you should take include:

  • Document any concerning behavior you witness. This could include messages, interactions, or unexplained gifts.
  • Report directly to law enforcement. Never rely solely on the school to handle these allegations properly. Reach out to the police and inform them about your suspicions.
  • Contact Child Protective Services. It’s important that they initiate an investigation as well.
  • Seek medical and psychological support for the survivor. Regardless of how well they might seem to be handling the situation, it’s critical that the survivor has the support they need during this difficult time. The psychological damage can last a lifetime.
  • Avoid confronting the alleged abuser directly. Allow the proper authorities to investigate the allegations. Never take this type of matter into your own hands.

When speaking with the survivor, remember not to press too hard. Allow the child to lead the conversation, and be careful to validate their emotions. Avoid any judgment, and don’t express any doubts about their experiences. Get in touch with an experienced trauma therapist and an advocacy group that can offer more resources for healing and moving on after the abuse.

Contact us for a confidential consultation

If you are a survivor of sexual abuse by a teacher, or if you are the parent of a survivor, you don’t have to face this alone. You have legal rights that could allow you to hold the abuser and the organization that failed to offer a safe environment accountable.

Call Soroka & Associates today for a free, confidential consultation with a compassionate sexual abuse lawyer.