Washington State School District Settles Sexual Abuse Lawsuit for $3.9 Million

The Tahoma School District has settled a sexual abuse lawsuit for $3.9 million after admitting it was negligent in continuing to employ a former paraeducator after reports he was allegedly sexually abusing and grooming students. 

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a student January 2022 in King County Superior Court, alleges that the student was sexually abused when he was between 5 and 7 years old by paraeducator Bryan Neyers while he was working in Tahoma Elementary School’s Early Enrichment Program. The alleged sexual abuse occurred between 2018 and 2020. Neyers is facing child rape and molestation charges involving three young boys, as well as first-degree rape charges involving a fourth child. 

Neyers began working in the enrichment program in 2015. The following year, the Maple Valley school district started to receive reports about Neyers exhibiting concerning behavior and a lack of boundaries with students, said Steven Reich, one of the Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC attorneys representing the student. School officials met with Neyers in June 2018 — months before the student started school — about the alleged grooming behavior and abuse. 

Read the source article at The Seattle Times