An elementary school girl is suing Burke County’s school district, claiming a guidance counselor failed to protect her from a teacher who sexually abused her.
The teacher, Michael Alexander, was known as “Mr. A.” at the elementary school in the small town where the assault took place. In July, Mr. A pleaded guilty to first-degree sex offense with a child and to taking indecent liberties with a child.
Court documents say that his crimes may have gone on for over a decade. Alexander, a father of two, duplicated videos of young girls engaged in sex acts with each other, as well as with adult men. Court documents also stated that he took illicit pictures of young girls wearing t-shirts bearing the town’s name.
Alexander was sentenced to at least 40 years in prison.
The lawsuit was filed on Monday by one of Alexander’s alleged victims, just 8 years old when the abuse began, according to court documents. The lawsuit says that Alexander “was allowed to excuse young girls from other classes and school activities and keep them with him long enough to engage in sex with them.”
It is stated in the lawsuit that the child confided in Linda Bradshaw, the elementary school’s guidance counselor, reporting that she was being touched improperly. Bradshaw and Alexander are both listed as co-defendants.
“Defendant Bradshaw scolded (the girl) to ‘stop lying’ and commanded her to go back to defendant Alexander’s class,” the lawsuit says, claiming Bradshaw’s inaction violated six provisions of the school district’s manual requiring her to report the alleged crimes to police, the principal and the superintendent.
“Denied help (the girl) continued to be sexually abused in unconscionable ways and filmed by Defendant Alexander in school,” the suit continues.
The Superintendent of the Public School did not return a message that was left with his secretary. Bradshaw is still listed as the school’s guidance counselor. A message left at a number listed for Bradshaw was not returned.
A child is supposed to be protected by the teachers, guidance counselors and staff that are entrusted with their care. We teach children that if they are touched improperly or if something happens that doesn’t feel right, they should tell a teacher or guidance counselor. That is exactly what this 8-year-old girl did, only to be sent back to the care of the very perpetrator who violated her. Do you feel that the guidance counselor should be held liable for failing to help this child? What would be a fair outcome? Feel free to comment on this blog post. Contact one of our Gacovino Lake attorneys at 1-800-246-HURT (4878).
