Two federal lawsuits have been filed against Spartanburg County School District Two, one of seven school districts in Spartanburg County. The lawsuits allege negligence in the handling of classroom sexual assault complaints.
There have been lawsuits filed regarding the unfortunate incidents of repeated sexual assaults involving second-grade students at Shoal Creek Elementary School during the 2021-2022 school year.
In June 2022, two mothers filed personal injury lawsuits in Spartanburg County on behalf of their sons who were victimized. Attorney Tyler Rody from Spartanburg, S.C. has filed lawsuits in the S.C. seventh judicial circuit on behalf of Ansley Lane, Casey Gillespie, and two minor children under their guardianship.
They have now been combined into a single case, which seems to be on track for a trial later this year.
The complaints that have been filed recently raise concerns about the district’s obligations under federal law when it comes to addressing sexual assault complaints. These complaints also claim that the district has a track record of disregarding complaints involving boys.
On July 1, 2024, federal lawsuits were filed stating that the school failed to address multiple incidents of sexual assaults, harassment, and inappropriate touching involving three student offenders and multiple victims.
Despite transfer requests and the need for preventative measures, the school did not take any action to stop these ongoing incidents. According to the complaint, the district failed to report the incidents to law enforcement or the South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS).
The filing also claims that the district has policies that encourage a lenient attitude towards bullying and harassment, especially when the victim is male.
In this specific instance, the school administration was aware of one individual’s misconduct that occurred in 2019. The incident involved the individual taking an inappropriate photo with a school-issued iPad and exposing themselves to fellow classmates.
Surprisingly, no incident report, investigation, or consequences were reported for the student. Additionally, teachers were allegedly kept in the dark about the incident.