$5.75 Million Settlement Awarded to Deaf and Blind Students Sexually Assaulted by Gang at Hawaii Public School

$5.75 Million Settlement Awarded to Deaf and Blind Students Sexually Assaulted by Gang at Hawaii Public School

This is a very disturbing incident at a school in Hawaii for disabled students.  There is a pending criminal investigation, however, the civil suit for money damages resulted in a $5.75 million settlement.  It was alleged in the lawsuit that a group of students continually bullied and sexually assaulted other students at the school and that school administrators failed to adequately supervise the perpatrators or take remedial measures to prevent the sexual assaults from occurring.

Many instances of sexual assault and abuse, unfortunately, happen within the confines of educational institutions.  In most instances, it is necessary to show some notice on the part of school administrators of the conduct or the propensity of students to commit sexual battery on other students to hold the school liable for damages resulting from the assaults including emotional distress.