(IKM-Manning) The parents of a youth who was sexually abused by one his schoolteachers are now suing the school district for negligence.
The parents, identified in court documents as John and Jane Doe, are suing IKM-Manning Community School District on behalf of their son, identified as John Roe, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
The lawsuit alleges that in the spring of 2022, while Roe was a 7th grade student at IKM Middle School, 22-year-old Cassidy Kraus was working at the school as a student teacher.
In May 2022, school officials allegedly observed a “scantily clad” Kraus, dressed in a sports bra and shorts, playing sports with some of the students, including Roe. The lawsuit alleges that while school officials found Kraus’ conduct to be inappropriate, they took no action.
One month later, Roe’s mother allegedly discovered Kraus was sending messages to her son via the Snapchat messaging app, instructed her son to block Kraus, and reported the matter to school officials.
In August 2022, Kraus became a full-time teacher at the middle school. During the fall semester, the lawsuit alleges, Kraus began pulling Roe, then 13 years old, into her classroom during the school day where she kissed him and groped him. In October, Roe’s mother allegedly sent an email to a school guidance counselor about concerns that Kraus was having sexually explicit conversations with students, including her son. According to the lawsuit, the counselor indicated she would inform administrators.
The school is alleged to have taken no action in the matter and in November 2022, Kraus allegedly solicited a sexual encounter with Roe, the lawsuit claimed. Over the next four months, the lawsuit alleged, the two had sex on numerous occasions.
In March 2023, Kraus allegedly began sending sexually explicit photos to Roe, who had recently turned 14, and other students. Five months later, district officials learned of the photos and initiated an investigation. Kraus resigned and was subsequently charged with sexual abuse, lascivious acts with a minor and distributing obscene material to minors.
In January of this year, she pleaded guilty to all of the charges and in March she was sentenced to 33 years in prison.
As a result on the situation, the lawsuit claims, Roe was subjected to “relentless bullying, harassment and threats” from other students and was forced to transition to remote learning.
The lawsuit alleges the school district was negligent in hiring Kraus after fielding reports of inappropriate conduct, in failing to adequately supervise Kraus, and in failing to investigate the concerns raised by Roe’s mother. The district’s failure to protect Roe from Kraus was “extreme and outrageous,” the lawsuit alleges.
The school district has yet to file a response to the lawsuit, which was transferred this week from state court to federal court. The district’s attorney and communications specialist did not immediately return calls seeking comment Friday; the district superintendent was out of the office Friday and could not be reached for comment.
