An Orange County public school teacher was eventually convicted of having an affair with a 13-year-old student. The parents sued the school district for failing to detect the molestation and won a $640,000 award. The school district protested that the affair was kept secret by both parties, and they had no way to prevent it. The California Court of Appeals reversed on the grounds that the consequences of a decision of liability would force the school district to take counterproductive behavior. “According to the court’s opinion: ‘Under our facts here, a policy of prevention of this sort of harm would require turning the culture at every high school in the district into a virtual police state.'” (David Reyes, L.A. Times, Oct. 25; Bob Egelko, “Court overturns damages for parents of abused pupil”, San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 24; Stephen F. v. Anaheim Union School Dist.). (via Bashman)
“Court Warns of Campus ‘Police State'”
An Orange County public school teacher was eventually convicted of having an affair with a 13-year-old student. The parents sued the school district for failing to detect the molestation and won a $640,000 award. The school district protested that the affair was kept secret by both parties, and they had no way to prevent it. […]
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