School Sued Over Alleged Harassment Girl Seeks $2.5 Million From Everett School District

A Mill Creek teenager has sued the Everett School District for $2.5 million, contending she was sexually harassed by students and staff at Jackson High School and that her report of a date rape was ignored by school officials.

The school district earlier had denied liability in the case by rejecting a damage claim filed on behalf of the 17-year-old.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday by the Northwest Women’s Law Center and Lynnwood, Wash., lawyer Jim Johanson on behalf of the girl, who is identified only as Jane Doe.

“Certainly sexual discrimination is not something we would want to think we have going on,” said Gay Campbell, a spokeswoman for the school district.

“The fact is this has become a legal matter. Although we don’t like giving no comments, this is one of those times.”

Among the incidents alleged in the girl’s lawsuit:

She was verbally and mentally abused by Jackson High School upperclassmen who demanded sexual favors.

She was date-raped in October 1995 at a party by two of the upperclassmen.

She informed school district officials of the date rape, but they failed to follow district disciplinary policies and procedures, failed to report the allegations to state Child Protective Services and failed to arrange for the girl to be interviewed by anyone trained to deal with sexual assault victims.

In 1996, a school employee took her to dinner at an Everett restaurant without the permission of the girl’s parents. The employee had written the girl notes containing unspecified inappropriate information.

“Schools have an absolute obligation to investigate claims of sexual harassment and sexual assault and to take remedial action if the allegations are found to be true,” said Linda Mangel, a lawyer at the Northwest Women’s Law Center.

The lawsuit contends the girl was branded with a sexually graphic nickname during her freshman year in 1995-96. The nickname was shortened to two initials and used by students and two teachers, court papers say.