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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Seattle schools settle suit over teacher’s misconduct

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

SEATTLE – Seattle Public Schools has agreed to pay $3.05 million to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of two girls who were sexually abused by their fifth-grade teacher.

The teacher, Laurence “Shayne” Hill, pleaded guilty in late 2005 to child molestation and other sex crimes against students, including the two girls in the current settlement. He is serving a sentence of five years to life in prison.

Hill’s misconduct spanned nearly 20 years, with at least 15 teachers and staff reporting his inappropriate behavior to successive school administrators, according to court documents.

The criminal investigation began after the mother of one of the girls in the settlement walked into Hill’s classroom at Broadview-Thomson Elementary School in April 2005 to deliver lunch to her then-11-year-old daughter. She saw Hill sitting extremely close to her daughter, and he had his hand on the girl’s buttocks, according to charging documents.

The lawsuit was filed in late 2005.

“Seattle Schools does take responsibility for the actions of this former employee,” Patty Spencer, Seattle Public Schools’ spokeswoman, said Monday.