Lawrence schools called a student's teacher-harassment reports false, lawsuit says
James Killian sued Lawrence Public Schools (USD 497) in federal court in early 2026, saying the district failed to properly investigate Title IX complaints that a Liberty Memorial Central Middle School teacher touched and stared at his daughter inappropriately in October 2023 and February 2024. According to the suit, a student's October 2023 report to a school resource officer never reached the district's Title IX coordinator, the family was not told until February 2024, and the district told families that month the claims were false. On March 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into whether the district responded as Title IX requires. The district denied that the complaints amounted to sexual harassment and says its handling met Title IX; the teacher is not a defendant and still worked at the school as of March 2026.
The teacher is not a defendant in the suit; the school district is the only defendant.
This information is false. There have been no such allegations made.
In court filings, denied the complaints rose to sexual harassment and said its handling met Title IX requirements.
No outcome recorded yet.