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Lawsuit accuses Macomb County school district of neglect in abuse case
The fallout continued from an inappropriate sexual relationship between a former Fraser High School auditorium manager and a then 15-year-old student. The Mike Morse Law Firm has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the victim, who, according to court and police documents, was sexually abused by the former auditorium manager, Robert Lindsay II. The abuse took place at the high school and at a home in Clinton Township.
FRASER, Mich. (FOX 2) - Months after a former auditorium manager was sentenced for sexually abusing a student at Fraser High School, a lawsuit was filed to emphasize the responsibility school staff have to protect their students.
Big picture view:
The fallout continued from an inappropriate sexual relationship between a former Fraser High School auditorium manager and a then 15-year-old student.
The Mike Morse Law Firm has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the victim, who, according to court and police documents, was sexually abused by the former auditorium manager, Robert Lindsay II. The abuse took place at the high school and at a home in Clinton Township.
The lawsuit targets administrators, the school district, and EduStaff, which employed Lindsay and contracted with the school district to provide his services as auditorium manager.
"Under most federal claims, you’re looking at a standard of deliberate indifference to what is a serious risk of harm. So here, the deliberate indifference was the knowledge among the staff and administrators of ongoing potential grooming and harassment," said Madeline Sinkovich with Mike Morse.
Dig deeper:
Despite signs of inappropriate behavior, administrators did not contact the victim’s family or terminate Lindsay, who resigned before being arrested.
Lindsay was sentenced to 8–15 years in prison after pleading no contest to five counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
The lawsuit sends a message that others could have kept this student out of harm’s way.
"We want to send this message that they have a legal and moral duty to act, any educator out there in any public school," Morse said.
What they're saying:
Two parties named in the suit provided statements to FOX 2.
Fraser Public Schools’ statement reads in part:
Fraser Public Schools just learned of a lawsuit filed against the district regarding the behaviors of a former EduStaff employee who left the district two years ago. The district does not comment on pending litigation.
EduStaff’s statement reads in part:
As a staffing provider, we depend on prompt communication from our district partners to help us respond swiftly and appropriately to any potential workplace concerns.