- Video shows redacted court documents involving the Mason Public School District.
- A lawsuit filed earlier this year details an alleged sexual assault that took place at Mason Middle School in May of 2022.
- The mother of the girl involved wants the boy permanently expelled from school.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your neighborhood news reporter, Sarah Poulos. The Mason School District is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit claiming the district caused a female student "significant distress" after a classmate who allegedly sexually assaulted her was reinstated to the district.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, details an alleged sexual assault that took place at Mason Middle School in May of 2022. A boy was accused of sexually assaulting a female classmate. He was ultimately expelled following a Title IX investigation that found the boy's actions were "severe, pervasive, and objectionably offensive."
According to court documents, the boy was reinstated after his parents successfully petitioned the Mason school board. The suit also alleges that the boy's parents, who are both Ingham County officials, used their "political influence" to persuade the board.
Following his reinstatement to school, district officials instituted a "no-contact" order for the boy and girl. The lawsuit alleges that the girl has suffered "severe emotional distress" since the boy was allowed to come back to school.
According to court documents, school officials named in the suit want it dismissed, saying the claims are "defective and frivolous and should be dismissed with prejudice."
The documents also say the plaintiff has not alleged a valid Title IX claim proving deprivation of educational opportunities, the school's knowledge of the harassment, and the deliberate indifference to the harassment, saying the district took immediate action when the harassment was reported.
The filing also claims the plaintiff has not alleged any additional harassment from the boy since he was reinstated.
The boy's parents have also filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming they did not conspire with the school board to have their son reinstated. The girl's mother, who filed the lawsuit, wants the boy permanently expelled from school. In Mason, I'm your neighborhood reporter, Sarah Poulos.
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