Editor’s note: This story shares details of child sexual abuse that may be disturbing to readers.
PORTLAND, Ore. (CURRENCY) — Alumni of an Oregon school district have alleged that a former teacher sexually abused them, as other faculty members were “fully aware” of the misconduct.
In a $10.5 million lawsuit filed Wednesday, Cascades School District teacher Etta Archer Gross was accused of engaging in sexual relationships with several of her students. The district was also charged with allowing the behavior to continue.
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Court documents claimed that Gross abused one of the plaintiffs over a period of two years during high school while he was her student and then her teacher’s aide. The other male actor was a middle school student, but served as her teacher’s aide as part of an “alternative program,” according to the complaint.
The Lawyers alleged that Gross first sexually harassed one of the actors by saying, “God I want to put my hands in your pocket,” before she put her hands in his pants to touch him. With the other plaintiff, lawyers alleged that she repeatedly commented on how developed he was for his age and would put his hand up her shirt while she was teaching a class for students with autism and Down syndrome.
The lawsuit further accuses Gross of “repeated phone calls to Plaintiffs’ family homes, transporting Plaintiffs from school to Gross’ personal apartment to sexually assault, beat and sodomize students, provide alcoholic beverages to minors, drive Plaintiffs to sporting and other activities for alone time, and wear their clothing during football days and school jerseys.”
According to Tonna Faxon of TFK Law, the abuse cited in the complaint is believed to have started in 2002. The lawyer noted that she heard from another victim that her abuse started in 2001.
In a statement, CSD Communications Director Gregg Koskela said the district was made aware of the lawsuit through an article published earlier this week, but the administration had not received any official documentation with specific details until Wednesday.
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“Because this involves pending litigation, the District legally cannot 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.
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