In “Doe v. BISD” attorneys Mark Frasher and John Werner from Reaud Morgan & Quinn Law Firm secured a $3.45 million verdict for two middle school students who were sexually abused by a substitute teacher, Brandon Chillow. Our attorneys obtained sworn statements from former students of BISD indicating that Chillow had previously engaged in similar sexual misconduct toward students at a different campus. Former students and staff gave deposition and trial testimony indicating the knowledge by campus administrators of Chillow’s prior sexual misconduct.
In addition, the legal team also discovered multiple, documented instances of sexually inappropriate conduct by other BISD teachers toward students that occurred prior to the misconduct inflicted on the children in this case, including three instances covered by the local news media.
The team consulted with a leading expert in the Prevention of Educator Sexual Harassment of students, Dr. Charol Shakeshaft, who reviewed BISD’s policies, purported training, deposition testimony, and document production in the case and characterized the occurrences of educator sexual misconduct in the district as being more of a systemic issue.
During the nine-day trial, the legal team called 23 witnesses and presented documentary evidence supporting the jury’s verdict of BISD’s liability for violations of Title IX. Specifically, the jury found that BISD’s Board of Trustees maintained a policy or custom of deliberate indifference to reports of sexual harassment or an obvious risk of sexual harassment, which created a heightened risk of sexual harassment that the Board was aware of. The jury verdict totaled $3,450,000.
