DUBUQUE, Iowa — Attorneys for an Iowa family said in a lawsuit that they believe the way the Dubuque community Schools responded to bullying contributed to a girl being sexually assaulted at Hempstead High School in 2019.
The lawsuit says the district refused to allow the girl to transfer to another high school after she was routinely bullied by a male student.
According to the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, the family said the district also failed to prevent contact between the two students even though the bullying continued, and the litigation seeks compensation from the district on counts of negligence, harassment and retaliation and gender and discrimination.
Police investigated after the assault was reported but no charges were filed. The district's attorneys deny that the school system did anything wrong.