A charter school teacher is suing the charter school network that operates one of the schools over an alleged sexual assault by a student.
According to an article published in The Times-Picayune and on nola.com, Brenda Williams filed a claim on Oct. 5 in Orleans Parish Civil District Court alleging she was assaulted on Sept. 6 at Opportunities Academy. The suit names Collegiate Academies and the student whom Williams says assaulted her, according to the Times.
Williams is reportedly claiming negligence in the matter with "failure to avoid exposing employees to unreasonable risks of injury or harm." She is seeking damages as well as court costs and attorney fees from both the student and the network.
Teacher says student sexually assaulted her
| https://morguefile.com/photos/morguefile/1/teacher
Opportunities Academy is one of six charter schools listed on the Collegiate Academies website. On the website, the school is described as a full-day, post-secondary program for students ages 18-21 with moderate to significant disabilities.
The lawsuit reportedly states that, "Williams was thrown against a wall and groped on her buttocks by the student after his 'coach' left the room to use the restroom." Williams claims the assault caused her “severe and disabling injuries,” published reports say.
The Times article also saying that in the filing Williams claimed that the network was aware of the student’s behavior because of past incidents, adding the student has “attacked at least five” other women who taught at the school in the past two years.
The Times also reported that school officials issued a statement in response to the lawsuit saying in part, Opportunities Academy “is committed to the safety” of their students and staff.
“We take these allegations seriously," the statement said. "We have worked with our team to retrain on best practices and safety protocols in supporting all students with significant disabilities. Our team is committed to continuing to provide supports to our students and staff to maintain a safe and caring school environment.”