A West Michigan mother is accusing a Christian school system of violating federal Title IX requirements by not protecting her teenage daughter from a male student charged with sexual assault. The Holland Sentinel reports that a lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids against Holland Christian Schools.
The girl was 15 and the boy was 17 when they were in a relationship in 2015. The lawsuit says the girl's parents later learned she had been raped by the boy, who eventually pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct. The lawsuit says her parents informed school officials who failed to keep the boy away from the girl during school hours.
Title IX protects students from sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. Superintendent Dan Meester tells The Associated Press that Holland Christian Schools is reviewing the lawsuit with its attorneys and "taking steps to actively defend the school."
