Philadelphia School Sexual Abuse: Get Help Now
When you send your child to school, you trust the teachers and staff to provide a safe, healthy learning environment. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for that trust to be broken and for children to experience sexual abuse at school. It’s important to understand that if your child suffered abuse at the hands of a trusted educator or another student, it’s not your fault, and your family deserves justice for the suffering you’ve endured. Consulting with an experienced Philadelphia school sexual abuse attorney is crucial so you know your rights and your options for holding perpetrators accountable.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
- Philadelphia schools have an unfortunate history of sexual abuse by teachers and staff, but survivors of this abuse have options for pursuing justice.
- Victims may be able to file a civil lawsuit against the perpetrator and school district or report the abuse so prosecutors can pursue criminal charges.
- An experienced Philadelphia school sexual abuse attorney can help you determine the best course to take to pursue justice if your child has been harmed by abuse.
Philadelphia School and Teacher Sexual Abuse Overview
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ 2023 Child Protective Services report, Philadelphia County saw 1.5 substantiated reports of child abuse per 1,000 children in the county—an increase from 2022. In total, Philadelphia County had 564 total substantiated allegations of child abuse in 2023, almost half of which alleged sexual abuse. In 2023, about 2 percent of the commonwealth’s total substantiated child abuse allegations named school staff as perpetrators.
The School District of Philadelphia currently serves nearly 200,000 students enrolled across 331 schools, making it the largest school district in Pennsylvania and the eighth largest in the nation.
Examples of Sexual Abuse in Philadelphia Schools
Sexual abuse is not just limited to actions like rape. Children can endure sexual abuse without ever being touched by their abusers. In schools, abuse can be perpetrated by teachers, coaches, administrative staff, nurses, and even other students.
Over the past few years, Philadelphia has unfortunately seen a number of incidents of school abuse, including the following:
- A former high school teacher was sentenced for devising a child exploitation catfishing scheme.
A 33-year-old former teacher at the High School of Creative and Performing Arts was sentenced to 30 years in prison for enticing young girls, including a student at another school he had worked at, to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.
- A teacher at Philadelphia’s High School for Girls attempted to sexually abuse and exploit a student.
A 32-year-old teacher at Philadelphia’s High School for Girls was arrested and charged for attempting to solicit explicit photos and sexual relations with a 16-year-old student in exchange for cash.
- A district bus aide was charged with sexually assaulting two elementary school students.
A 71-year-old bus aide was charged with sexually abusing two elementary school students from Thomas Fitzwater and Jarrettown Elementary Schools.
- Three disabled elementary students were assaulted by older students on a school bus.
The disabled children, all between the ages of 8 and 9, were sexually assaulted by a group of older students on a bus that had just left Robert E. Lamberton Elementary School. The bus driver did not intervene, according to a lawsuit filed by the victims’ families.
How to Report School Sexual Abuse in Philadelphia
If you believe that your child has been the victim of sexual abuse at school, you have options to pursue justice for your child. Generally, you can notify the school and the local authorities as the first step. Then, speak with an attorney to learn more about your rights and legal options. When speaking with an attorney, they may discuss two paths for seeking justice: criminal charges and civil lawsuits.
You might be eligible to file a civil lawsuit against not only the perpetrator but also the school district for enabling or failing to address it. In a civil suit, seek compensation for the harm suffered by your child. Meanwhile, if you choose to pursue criminal prosecution, law enforcement will investigate, and prosecutors will determine whether to file criminal charges.
Report Sexual Abuse to the School or District
Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, schools that receive federal funding are required to investigate any claim of sexual abuse by an educator. Additionally, schools must take action to stop the behavior and prevent it from reoccurring.
In Pennsylvania, teachers, administrators, and school nurses are mandatory reporters of child abuse and must report any suspicion of abuse to authorities, including abuse perpetrated by an educator. If you suspect your child has been abused at school and the school has not taken any action, you can report the abuse to the district directly. A list of all schools in the School District of Philadelphia can be found here.
Report School Sexual Abuse to Philadelphia Law Enforcement
If you or your child is being abused, you may feel that contacting the police is an important step to take. Police intervention can be life-saving, but many survivors and their families are afraid that involving police will cause retaliation or jeopardize their safety.
However, if you do decide to file a police report, there are deadlines for criminal prosecutions for abuse in Pennsylvania. The criminal statute of limitations for child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania varies by the type of criminal charge. The deadline for prosecutors to bring a majority of felony sexual abuse charges involving minor victims ranges from 12 to more than 35 years.
Should You File a School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit in Philadelphia?
Typically, reporting an incident of abuse to the school or the district is the first step to seeking justice—and it may be the only step you decide to take if the school takes appropriate action. There is no right or wrong process to take after you or your child experienced harm at the hands of an educator, but when you bring forward an abuse suit against a school district, you are fighting for institutional corrections to prevent future abuse. By speaking up, you can break the cycle of abuse and stand up for your own rights and the rights of future students.
If you decide to file a school sexual abuse lawsuit in Philadelphia, a sexual abuse lawyer can work with you to determine what steps to take and what the process will look like going forward. Many sexual abuse lawsuits settle outside of court before ever reaching trial, but some end up in a trial by jury.
Note that you must file suit before the deadline set by the civil statute of limitations. Under a 2019 Pennsylvania law amending the deadline, child sexual abuse survivors abused before age 18 have until their 55th birthday to file a lawsuit. Before the 2019 law, the civil statute of limitations required child victims to file a case within 12 years of turning 18—or their 30th birthday. However, the 2019 law is not retroactive, so the pre-2019 deadline applies to older cases.
How a Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Help
Speaking to an experienced teacher sexual abuse lawyer can help you and your loved ones understand what happened, answer questions related to reporting rights and options, and enable you to understand if filing a lawsuit is a viable option for pursuing justice. A lawyer can review the facts of your case to determine whether you’re eligible to sue and what damages you can seek.
Additionally, an attorney can do the following:
- Investigate and gather evidence.
- Assist you with submitting a complaint to the school, school board, or district.
- Help you report the incident to law enforcement.
- Draft and file a sexual abuse lawsuit.
- Litigate your case, handling all legal details.
- Handle communication with any other parties.
- Negotiate a settlement.
- Represent you in court.
- Protect your confidentiality.
Questions to Ask When Hiring a School Abuse Lawyer
When you speak with a lawyer, the following are some of the questions you should consider asking:
- What is the statute of limitations for my case?
- Does my case qualify as abuse?
- What is the likelihood of this case’s success?
- Will the school district retaliate against me or my child if I file suit?
Philadelphia School Sexual Abuse FAQ
When should I speak to a school sexual abuse lawyer?
If you believe you or your child have been abused at school, either by an employee or another student, speak to a sexual abuse lawyer to learn more about your rights and legal options.
How much does it cost to hire a school sexual abuse lawyer in Philadelphia?
What happens if I was sexually abused years ago while attending a school in Philadelphia?
Your eligibility to file a civil lawsuit depends on the state’s statutes of limitations in effect when the harm occurred. A 2019 law amended Pennsylvania’s civil statute of limitations, giving child sexual abuse survivors abused before age 18 until their 55th birthday to file a lawsuit. However, before the 2019 law took effect, the civil statute of limitations required child victims to file a case within 12 years of turning 18—or their 30th birthday. The 2019 law is not retroactive, so the old law still applies to cases that arose before the new law’s effective date.
To determine the deadline for your case, speak with an experienced and knowledgeable sexual abuse attorney.
What are the potential outcomes of a school sexual abuse lawsuit in Philadelphia?
Your school sexual abuse lawsuit may result in an out-of-court settlement with the perpetrator and the school district, or it may proceed to a trial by jury. You can pursue compensation for damages such as medical bills, therapy costs, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more.
A lawyer can analyze the circumstances of your case, estimate the value of your case, and advise you of the potential outcomes.
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