Schools are supposed to be safe spaces for students of all ages. Unfortunately, teachers and other school faculty take advantage of their positions and access to children and end up subjecting students to horrible abuse. Without a doubt, sexual abuse is devastating. Victims could suffer significant harm, including but not limited to the following:

• Pregnancy
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Internal injuries, some of which could result in permanent damage
• Other physical injuries, like fractures, lacerations, bruising, etc.
• Mental and emotional harm, like post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, fear, etc.

Far too many boys and girls suffer sexual abuse at the hands of those that are supposed to keep them safe. Survivors of sexual abuse often struggle for years – sometimes decades – after their traumatic experience. Unfortunately, the trauma is so severe for some that they resort to drugs and even suicide as an escape.

Do you have the right to sue for the sexual abuse that your child suffered at school? Could you sue if you were sexually molested or attacked by a teacher at a school? The answer is simple – yes, you could sue. You could sue based on the following:

Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 – victims of sexual abuse at schools can file lawsuits against the public schools who ignore or show indifference to sexual abuse (including molestation, harassment, rape, etc.) by other students, teachers, and other school faculty. This only applies if the public school received federal funding. It is important to note that these claims can be pursued through the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).

Negligence – all schools have a duty of care towards their students. They must ensure that their students are safe while on their premises. This includes ensuring that all school employees do not pose threats to students (i.e., employees pass background checks, employee interactions with students are supervised, etc.). If any incident occurs, then schools must act quickly to ensure that students are not harmed any further (i.e., incidents must be investigated, attackers are removed from the school, etc.). When schools breach their duty of care towards their students, sexual misconduct against students can occur and even continue occurring for months or years. It is important to note that these claims can be pursued civilly.

If you are interested in learning more about your right to sue for sexual abuse at a Kern County, California school, do not hestiate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm immediately.

Based on the details surrounding the incident, you could be entitled to recover compensation upon reaching a successful claim outcome. How much compensation could you receive? What could you be awarded? Based on the details surrounding your sexual abuse claim against a Kern County school, you could be eligible to recover compensation for some of the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Punitive damages
• Legal expenses

Without a doubt, monetary compensation will never reverse the scars left by sexual abuse at a school. However, recovering monetary compensation can ensure that victims have access to the tools necessary to move forward from their traumatic experience. If you are interested in learning more about your right to pursue a sexual abuse claim against a school in Kern County, California, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm immediately.

The Statute of Limitations

All claims, including sexual abuse and molestation claims against schools, are subject to a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the total length of time that claimants have to file their claims. If claimants do not file their claims on time, they could lose their right to sue altogether.

What deadline applies to your claim? Claims filed through the OCR (under Title IX) are subject to a 180 day deadline (that is, 180 days from the incident). If the claim is being pursued civilly, however, other deadlines apply. For instance, victimized children have up to their 40^th birthday or 5 years from the discovery of the sexual abuse to take civil action.

Without a doubt, determining the deadlines that apply to sexual abuse claims could be difficult. Therefore, it is essential that claimants act quickly and seek legal assistance as soon as possible to ensure that they have a thorough understanding of the total length of time that they have to file their claims.

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Fresno Unified School Sexual Assault
Los Angeles Sexual Assault Defense Attorney
School Sex Abuse Lawsuit Attorney