Richland County School District Two settles sexual assault lawsuit for $285,000

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The Richland County School District Two settled a lawsuit alleging the 2020 sexual assault of a Ridge View High School basketball player by his teammates before a game, according to the family’s attorney Tyler Bailey.

The lawsuit claimed several members of the boy’s basketball team committed a violent sexual assault against the student in the locker room.

In the filing, it alleged the boy told his coach about about the incident before a game started and the coach told him he would “deal with this” after the game. The filing also stated the boy sat out of the game because he was “emotionally disturbed and upset immediately following his sexual assault.”

The mother “immediately” informed authorities about the incident when the boy told her, according to the lawsuit.

The players who were accused of participating in the sexual assault were criminally charged by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) and an investigation by deputies lead to the discovery of multiple other sexual assault incidents involving the same players, the lawsuit claimed.

The filing added the boy received permanent physical and emotional damage from the alleged assault.

The lawsuit was settled for $285,000.

A statement from Bailey said:

“This lawsuit was about holding schools accountable for protecting students, ensuring no child goes through what my client did and creating safer educational environments. I commend the strength of our clients and hope this lawsuit encourages schools to prioritize child safety and enact and enforce policies that protect all students in the future.”

WIS reached out to a spokesperson for the district, who said they had no comment.

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