Students of an Oregon school district have accused a former teacher of sexually abusing them, alleging that other faculty members were "fully aware" of the misconduct.
In a $10.5 million lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Cascades School District teacher Etta Archer Gross was accused of engaging in sexual relationships with several of her students. The district was also accused of allowing the behavior to continue, as reported by KOIN.
Gross Accused of Inappropriately Touching the Students, Allegedly Put a Student's Hand Up Her Skirt While Teaching a Class
According to court documents, Gross – an English teacher at Cascade High School -abused one of the plaintiffs over the course of two years during high school while he was her student. The other male plaintiff was a middle school student, but served as her teacher's aide as part of an "alternative program," according to the complaint.
Attorneys alleged that Gross first sexually harassed one of the plaintiffs by telling him, "God I want to stick my hands in your pocket," before reaching her hand into his pants to fondle him.
With the other plaintiff, attorneys alleged that she repeatedly commented on how developed he was for his age and would put his hand up her shirt while teaching a class for students with autism and Down syndrome.
Gross Also Accused of Sexually Assaulting, Sodomizing the Students; Providing Them with Alcoholic Beverages
The lawsuit further accuses Gross of "repeated phone calls to Plaintiffs' family homes, transporting Plaintiffs from the school to Gross' personal apartment to sexually assault, batter and sodomize the students, providing alcoholic beverages to minors, transporting Plaintiffs to sporting and other events for time alone with them, and wearing their clothing (for example, a numbered school football team jersey) during school days and hours."
According to TFK Law's Tonna Faxon, the abuse cited in the complaint is believed to have begun in 2002. The lawyer noted she has heard from another victim whose abuse began in 2001.
In a statement obtained by KOIN, CSD Communications Director Gregg Koskela said the district was made aware of the lawsuit through an article published earlier this week, but the administration hadn't received any official documentation with specific details as of Wednesday.
"Because this involves pending litigation, the District is legally unable to comment on the matter," Koskela added in the statement. "What we can reaffirm, however, is our unwavering commitment to student safety." The lawsuit claimed that Gross is currently on administrative leave.
