Celebrity attorney Gloria Allred — well known for defending mistresses of famous people — appeared Tuesday at a press conference with the mothers of high school boys who were sexually abused by their female teacher.
Five high school boys are suing Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy under Title IX, claiming the school violated the students’ rights by failing “to provide a safe and equal educational environment,” according to Allred, as transcribed by Grand Rapids Press reporter Kyle Moroney.
The teacher, Jamila Williams, was sentenced in October 2013 to 8 to 15 years in prison and suspended from her job for having sex with four boys. A fifth boy claimed he did not have sex with the teacher, but was harassed.
Allred was present at Williams’ sentencing, and sat with the mothers of the victims. She said at the time that the school needed to be held responsible for what happened to the boys and how the school handled the incident.
Allred alleged in Tuesday’s press conference that the school knew, at least in part, of Williams’ actions and should be held accountable.
Two mothers of victims spoke at the press conference about the way the school handled their sons’ situation. The mothers were not identified by Allred.
“The school has showed no compassion for us,” one mother said. “I feel betrayed and hurt. My son is a minor and he should not have had to be subjected to being victimized by an adult at a school that should have protected him, but failed him over and over again.”
Allred admitted that the school suspended Williams the day after a mother came to the school to confront her, but that the school did nothing more to investigate besides sending out a letter to parents and referring the matter to the police.
Allred did not make clear what more the school could have done.
Referring the matter to the police was the right move for the school, and is what led to Williams’ conviction.
Allred stated that the school had a duty to investigate promptly. In May 2013, according to Allred, a parent complained to another teacher about inappropriate text messages between Williams and students. That teacher notified the assistant principal, but it wasn’t until a mother came to the school that Williams was suspended, according to Allred’s account.
If that’s the case, the school should have referred the matter to the police at the time of the first complaint, but it appears the school didn’t want to act on second-hand information relayed to them by an uninvolved teacher.
Allred, of course, said she and local attorney Genie Eardley, have a “strong” case against the school.
Eardley wrote in October 2013 that the school’s principal “rudely suggested that [a victim] was not welcome to return to the school this fall” and made it difficult for victims of Williams to return to UPrep or transfer to other schools.
UPrep has not responded to the allegations.
