MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Rutherford County family has sued the Board of Education for allegedly failing to protect a child with autism from sexual abuse.
The family claims a caretaker hired by the school assaulted their son one day after exposing himself to the child.
The man was hired to help care for the child. However, according to the lawsuit, a custodian walked in on the man “with his pants at his ankles and his genitals being exposed” while he was alone with the child.
The next day, another school employee entered the child's room and allegedly witnessed something worse. The caretaker was found standing over the child laying on a table with the man’s hand touching the child's groin area.
Both incidents were reported to the principal, but the family claims the harassment "resulted in part, from Rutherford County’s failed preventive measures and failure to report to the parents."
The parents are seeking a jury trial in which the school system is required to give appropriate training, hiring protocols, damages for physical and emotional harm, and attorneys fees, costs.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to Rutherford County Schools officials. They responded saying, "We can’t comment publicly when there is pending litigation, but we will address these allegations through the judicial process."
