KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Shawnee Mission School District settled a civil suit Monday with the victim’s family regarding an alleged sexual assault at a middle school in 2017.
Under the terms of the agreement, the family of a juvenile, identified only as “P.Y.” in court records, will receive $165,000. The district and family reached the agreement in April 2019, and it was approved Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Crabtree.
According to the complaint — which also names former Superintendent Jim Hinson, Westridge Middle School Principal Jeremy McDonnell, former Westridge Assistant Principal Jade Peters and former SMSD School Board Representative Craig Denny — the female student was sexually assaulted during study hall at Westridge Middle School in May 2017.
Court records indicate a male student seated next to her put his hands down her pants and penetrated her. An investigation revealed three prior reports of similar conduct by the perpetrator, which all were received before December 2016.
None of the three previous incidents, which were uncovered by the school resource officer, had been reported to law enforcement.
Crabtree’s ruling stipulates that settlement proceeds may only be used for the girl’s benefit, including likely future medical experiences related to post-traumatic stress disorder from the incident, aside from the 45% fee awarded to the family’s attorneys.
SMSD spokesperson David Smith told 41 Action News the district is "unable to comment on the settlement."
