Lawsuit filed against Cleveland Heights School District

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — A lawsuit has been filed against the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City (CHUH) School District for alleged Title IX and civil rights violations.

Friedman Nemecek Long & Grant, LLC, The Temperance Legal Group, PLLC and A. Frazho Law Office, PLLC filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against CHUH and several employees of district.

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The lawsuit alleges that the district committed Title IX and civil rights violations due to its “alleged failure to appropriately address and respond to sexual harassment and assault occurring over more than a decade.”

The complaint, which represents several plaintiffs identified as Jane Doe, claims that CHUH officials and administrators “willfully ignored, minimized, and retaliated against victims who reported sexual harassment and assault.”

As a result, the plaintiffs allege they experienced “severe emotional distress, educational setbacks, anxiety and fear as a result of Defendants' alleged negligence and willful indifference.”

“Despite being legally obligated to protect students and provide a safe educational environment, the defendants allegedly allowed the perpetrators to remain enrolled and continue to participate in school activities, thereby creating a hostile environment that profoundly affected the ability victims to benefit from their education. said the law firm of Friedman Nemecek Long & Grant, LLC in a press release.

As a result of the alleged violations, the lawsuit seeks justice and accountability for victims, highlighting the need for the district to take allegations of sexual abuse and harassment seriously.

3News reached out to the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District for a statement regarding the lawsuit. We will post any response we receive here.

The full trial can be viewed below:

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