Human Rights Dept., West Lutheran High School Reach Settlement Over Sex Assault Allegations
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A settlement has been reached after the Minnesota Department of Human Rights sued West Lutheran High School in Plymouth for "permitting the sexual assault and harassment of a student."
The department says a ninth-grader was sexually harassed and assaulted multiple times during the 2014-15 school year by multiple students. The human rights department says the school did not protect the student and retaliated against her by preventing her from returning for her tenth-grade year.
On Thursday, a consent decree filed by the DHR was approved by the Hennepin County District Court. It orders West Lutheran High School to implement "significant system changes aimed at ensuring students live full lives, free from sexual assault, harassment and bullying."
Here are the steps that the consent decree requires West Lutheran High School to take immediately:
- develop and adopt policies to address and prevent bullying, harassment, and discrimination
- implement protocol for investigating every complaint of harassment and discrimination
- require students and faculty to sign a Code of Conduct Pledge each school year
- add bullying and harassment as topics to the curriculum of a required class
- train all students and faculty on the school's obligations annually
- train all staff and officials responsible for conducting investigations with trauma-informed investigation training
- report to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights the number of complaints made; the steps taken to investigate the complaints; and all outcomes
Click here to see the entire consent decree.
The department says it will monitor the consent decree for three years. If the school violates it, the department has the authority to seek civil penalties and other relief through the court.
The decree does not resolve any claims that the student may have against the school.
