Lawsuit Accuses Florida Christian School of Ignoring Reports of Teacher Harriet Sugg’s Alleged Grooming and Sexual Abuse of Student Jane Doe

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Lawsuit Alleges Florida Christian School Ignored Reports of Teacher’s Inappropriate Conduct with Student

A lawsuit filed on Monday has accused a Christian school in Florida of disregarding reports from students and staff regarding a teacher’s alleged grooming and inappropriate touching of a student. The teacher in question, Harriet Sugg, 54, was initially arrested in October on charges of sexual activity with a 16- or 17-year-old. The allegations date back to 2016, but they were only reported to the police in 2022.

The alleged victim, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit to protect her identity, has now filed a lawsuit against The First Academy, the school where Sugg taught and where Jane Doe became a student in 2014 at the age of 15. Jane Doe’s attorney, Andrea Lewis, stated that her client was trying to make friends and get to know people at the new school when she encountered Sugg. Lewis explained, “Here there was an established teacher that seemed like a nice woman, who was very kind to her initially and took a liking to her. Obviously, this young child, as we would hope, [developed] a rapport with the teacher and felt very comfortable around her.”

According to the lawsuit, the relationship between Sugg and Jane Doe grew increasingly intimate over time. Lewis stated that Sugg’s “manipulation” and “grooming tactics became much more pronounced” as their relationship progressed. The lawsuit alleges that Sugg, who claimed to be a sexual assault survivor herself, began abusing Jane Doe when she was a minor on the school’s campus, in Sugg’s vehicle, and even at home when her husband was away.

The complaint further states that staff members and students reported inappropriate incidents between Sugg and Jane Doe to First Academy officials. These incidents included hand holding, intimate touching, and instances of Sugg and the victim “playing with each other’s hair” and “rubbing” each other’s backs. Sugg’s own husband also reported her conduct and her abnormally close relationship with Jane Doe to the school’s administration.

Despite these reports, the lawsuit alleges that The First Academy failed to take action against Sugg. Jane Doe, who is now an adult, claims that the school did not inform her parents, contact law enforcement, or take appropriate steps to address the situation. Lewis emphasized the importance of examining the school’s role in the matter, stating, “One would think that when children, staff, administrators are all getting information or seeing these two people around campus and thinking, ‘That doesn’t look right,’ at the very least, the school would have informed her parents, separated the two, told law enforcement, and worked to ensure that the teacher didn’t have access to the child.”

In response to the allegations, The First Academy, which is run by First Baptist Orlando and has approximately 1,300 students, released a statement on its website. The statement, signed by First Baptist Orlando Senior Pastor Dr. David Uth and First Academy Head of School Dr. Steve Whitaker, assured the community that the school takes the allegations seriously and is committed to the safety and well-being of its students. The school stated that it is limited in what information it can share due to the ongoing investigation into Sugg’s actions.

Harriet Sugg was released from the Orange County Jail on $25,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on November 17. Her attorney, Maryjane Cooper, declined to comment on the case. The investigation into the allegations against Sugg is still ongoing, and The First Academy has promised to provide updates to the community as the situation develops. The school emphasized that it does not tolerate any form of sexual abuse or harassment and that protecting the safety and well-being of its students is its top priority.

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