Lawsuits Dismissed Against ACSD No.1 Employees

Three Albany County School District No. 1 employees named in a lawsuit filed by a former Albany County resident have had the complaints against them dismissed in U.S District Court.

In the lawsuit filed in February, the school district and three employees were accused of failing to act to prevent alleged sexual harassment of a former Harmony Elementary School student by another student, which the lawsuit claims eventually led to sexual assault.

U.S District Judge Scott Skavdahl held the hearing for Former Director of Transportation Jeff Lewis, Director of Transportation Randy Wilkison and Teacher Susan Taucher’s motions to dismiss the charges against them on Wednesday, April 26. Skavdahl issued the order to dismiss Tuesday, May 2. In the order, Skavdahl writes that while the school employees’ inaction is troubling, the former Albany County resident and her attorneys failed to demonstrate in any of the cases that the defendants played a part in creating or increasing danger to the girl or placing her in the way of danger.

“The most that can be said of the school officials in this case is that they stood by and did nothing when suspicious circumstances dictated a more active role for them,” the order states.

Stephan Harris, Clerk of Court for the District of Wyoming, said ACSD No.1 has not filed a motion to dismiss in U.S District Court.

Attorneys for the school district did file an answer to the lawsuit on April 27 in U.S District Court. In it, the district denies it was aware of any sexual harassment to which it could have responded or taken remedial steps.

ACSD No. 1 Superintendent Jubal Yennie said he was not able to comment on the lawsuit against the school district, as it is still pending.