A former student of Pineview Christian Academy in Harvest is claiming “extreme and ongoing emotional, mental, and physical anguish” after she claims she was sexually assaulted in 2022 at a school camp by a male student who received no punishment from administrators.
The suit was filed in Madison County Circuit Court on June 28 and seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of an unnamed 15-year-old female student by her mother.
Attempts to reach Pineview Christian Academy for comment were not immediately successful.
According to the suit, a 17-year-old male student grabbed the female’s hair and said, “I like your hair,” at a September 2022 camp in Pisgah, while the two students were sitting on a trampoline floating on a lake.
The female, who was wearing a swimsuit, pushed him away.
He then put his hand on her thigh and on her “private parts.” The female tried to push him away, but the male said, “No stay.” She then punched at him, jumped off the trampoline and swam away, according to the lawsuit.
The female stated she was aware the male had touched other girls inappropriately.
The female also told at least two teachers about the incident, and others learned about it after. The male left camp that evening, but was at school the next day.
The female later met with a Department of Human Resources representative at school, but missed some volleyball practices “due to the traumatic events” and was told by her coach that she was “being disrespectful and that she had a bad attitude.”
Because of this, she was not allowed to play in games and had play time cut. The female was later told an investigation revealed “no evidence” of anything, and she was barred from attending football games, while the male was allowed to play.
“Plaintiff’s parents complained … on multiple occasions that their daughter was being retaliated against at school by teachers and other students because she had complained about sexual assault, but nothing was done about these complaints,” the lawsuit states.
In November, the mother was sent an email by administrators that proposed “an agreed upon mutual separation” that included the female and her siblings from the school because it was “clear we can’t meet your level of expectations.”
When the parents suggested a meeting, they were told this was “just a suggestion,” the suit claims. The family did eventually withdraw the female from the school. On her last day, according to the suit, the mother was given a form by an administrator to sign which she was told stated the school was no longer responsible for her daughter’s education.
The suit claims the form was a non-disclosure agreement that included a release of all claims. The mother refused to sign it, and was told she could not have a refund that she had been promised unless she signed.