Hamilton County Schools is expected to pay an undisclosed settlement to a female student who filed a federal lawsuit after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a male student.
District Judge Curtis L Collier found Friday the settlement agreement was in the best interest of the child, according to a minute entry.
"This is a case about how a public school and its administrators failed to protect a young female student from sexual assault, harassment and bullying," the complaint said.
A reporter attended the federal hearing but was asked to leave shortly after it started because the minor's medical history would be discussed. The teenager was seated alongside her attorneys in an otherwise empty courtroom.
All the federal documents pertaining to the settlement agreement are also sealed. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has a pending open records request with the Hamilton County Board of Education for information related to the payout.
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The girl, who was 13 at the time, was a gifted student who regularly earned excellent grades at Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, the complaint said.
She was in the same science class as a 13-year-old boy, who allegedly began accosting and confronting her with sexual threats and taunts in 2021.
The girl reported it to her teacher, who passed it along to the assistant principal, the complaint said.
In another incident, the boy allegedly began to grind on the girl in the classroom before leaving to the bathroom.
She attended a band concert Dec. 9, 2021, and the boy invited her to walk throughout the school that remained open during and after the concert, the complaint said.
"Once in the boiler room, Jim Doe verbally accosted Jane Doe and physically forced her to perform oral sex on Jim Doe," the complaint said.
He then allegedly continued to bully and taunt her about it afterwards, the complaint said.
"In response to being bullied, harassed and threatened by Jim Doe and others, Jane Doe hid in the bathroom, cried and began missing classes," the complaint said.
She again informed her teacher about what happened, and the teacher again told the assistant principal, the complaint said.
The assistant principal allegedly took no immediate action and didn't inform the parents. The assistant principal allegedly admitted she thought the girl was lying and only after reviewing surveillance tapes did she believe it could possibly be true, the complaint said.
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In January 2022, the girl was called in to meet with the assistant principal and principal, who allegedly both suggested that "as a woman Jane Doe should consider the impact her complaint was having on Jim Doe," the complaint said.
"Male and female students frequently called Jane Doe a liar, a slut, whore, accused her of sleeping around with other people, and rumors were spread that Jane Doe was pregnant," the complaint said.
The boy was ultimately arrested in March 2022 on charges of rape and kidnapping, the complaint said.
The girl was allowed to transfer to another Hamilton County school for the fall 2022 semester, and the harassment allegedly continued there.
"Jane Doe complained of the bullying to a middle school counselor at ... who responded that 'boys will be boys," the complaint said.
She then dropped out of the district and went to being homeschooled.
Contact Sofia Saric at [email protected] or 423-757-6476.