Michigan’s Catholic Priest Abusers and the Attorney General Kwame Raoul
Attorney General Kwame Raoul explained that 451 Catholic clergies had abused 1,997 children in Michigan between 1950 and 2019, describing Michigan church leaders as being slow to acknowledge the extent of the abuse and accusing them of failing to warn parishioners about possible abusers in their midst, even decades after allegations emerged.
The lengthy report of Attorney General Kwame Raoul includes individual accounts of sexual abuse and lists of clergy and religious brothers in each diocese accused of child sexual abuse.
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Every Parent Wants Their Children to Be Safe While At School.
Unfortunately, sexual misconduct by teachers, counselors, coaches, and other educational professionals can occur, and we handle claims arising from such misconduct.
When this happens, both parents and students have rights under the law, including the right to have an experienced attorney by their side and to demand payments from both sexual abusers and their employers.
Even though school workers are supposed to have intensive training and screening to prevent these incidents, inappropriate sexual contact or outright abuse is common when people in positions of power take advantage of vulnerable children and teenagers.
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Schools Have A Legal Duty To Prevent Teacher Sex Abuse
Because Michigan schools always have a duty to keep their students safe, any instance of sexual abuse that occurs on church campus grounds may implicate the school as being negligent in a Michigan average settlement for clergy abuse.
Any sexual contact between a child and a school employee is inappropriate, regardless of consent. This can include direct contact between a student and teacher, or a situation where a teacher or other staff member turns a blind eye to sexual abuse by another person on school property.
Additionally, the school can be held accountable even when a teacher engages in sexual relations with a student off the school property.
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Suing Public Schools Versus Private Institutions In Court
While every educational institution has virtually the same duties to keep students safe, the legal liability of these schools can vary.
One major factor that any sexual abuse claimant must consider when filing a lawsuit in Michigan is whether the school is a private or public institution.
Plaintiffs can name private schools as defendants in all claims alleging sexual abuse, including situations where:
- A teacher is directly involved in the abuse;
- They witness abuse occurring on school grounds but do not intervene; or,
- When a third party commits an offense on school property.
Here, a plaintiff can allege that a school was merely negligent in not providing adequate protection.
Claims against public schools are much more complicated because these schools are considered entities under the State of Michigan.
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Legal Theories Of Liability In School Teacher Sex Abuse Lawsuits
Several theories of liability exist for a student to sue a teacher and school or even a church in a Michigan Catholic clergy abuse lawsuit.
In addition to state law theories, many lawsuits are filed based on violations of federal laws.
These include violations of Title IX because sexual harassment and abuse are forms of discrimination under Title IX.
As such, an educational institution that receives federal funding can be held liable under Title IX for the sexual abuse of a student by a teacher or other school employee.
Contact renowned Michigan personal injury attorney Ben Crump of Ben Crump Law right now for a free, private case evaluation and an estimate of just how much compensation you may be entitled to—call 800-683-5111, email [email protected], or visit our lightning-fast contact form.
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