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Lawsuit claims officials knew about alleged sex assaults at deaf and blind school | KHON2 Hawaii's News Leader
The state is being sued over an alleged cover-up at the Hawaii Center for the Deaf and Blind, involving bullying, coercion, and rape going back as far as ten years.
Attorney Michael Green marched the lawsuit to court himself.
He says the web of illegal activity going on at the Hawaii Center for the Deaf and Blind grows.
"We have information that goes back to 2001. There's no question there was a cover-up. We can prove that. There's no question that people at the highest places in DOE knew that there was sexual misconduct going on," he says.
The lawsuit says that "In May, 2009, a mother of a student at the school wrote an employee of the Department of Education reporting that her son had been intimidated into sexual activity with several boys."
And boys and girls alike were victims according to the suit.
"We have information of at least one pregnant young woman. I don't know if there are more," Green says.
According to the lawsuit a young female student was coerced into a sexual act with a member of the Ringleaders who filmed it on his cell phone.
The suit says the boy showed the video to other students.
"In the complaint there is an allegation about an adult, and we know that some of the students spent time at his home. And we also have reason to believe that he was aware of sexual misconduct among students at the school," Green says.
Another claim in the lawsuit, "the school, including its administrator (Sydney Dickerson), and its counselor (Scott O'Neal), had actual knowledge and certainly had reason to know of the wrongful activities of the Ringleaders, including the bullying, coercion, and coerced sexual acts.
As to how this could have gone on for so long.
"You would hope they would protect each other, but the bad side of that coin, for the closeness of the community is to keep things within the community," Green says.
Green says there have already been nearly three dozen victims discovered.
Police say several juveniles have been arrested since the investigation began earlier this year.
"If there was a conspiracy to cover this up and obstruct justice there is going to be some serious problems for people," Green says.
The attorney Generals Office and the DOE are reviewing the lawsuit but could not comment further.
Last month, the DOE placed the school principal on leave as its investigation continues.
The state is being sued over an alleged cover-up at the Hawaii Center for the Deaf and Blind, involving bullying, coercion, and rape going back as far as ten years.
Attorney Michael Green marched the lawsuit to court himself.
He says the web of illegal activity going on at the Hawaii Center for the Deaf and Blind grows.
"We have information that goes back to 2001. There's no question there was a cover-up. We can prove that. There's no question that people at the highest places in DOE knew that there was sexual misconduct going on," he says.
The lawsuit says that "In May, 2009, a mother of a student at the school wrote an employee of the Department of Education reporting that her son had been intimidated into sexual activity with several boys."
And boys and girls alike were victims according to the suit.
"We have information of at least one pregnant young woman. I don't know if there are more," Green says.
According to the lawsuit a young female student was coerced into a sexual act with a member of the Ringleaders who filmed it on his cell phone.
The suit says the boy showed the video to other students.
"In the complaint there is an allegation about an adult, and we know that some of the students spent time at his home. And we also have reason to believe that he was aware of sexual misconduct among students at the school," Green says.
Another claim in the lawsuit, "the school, including its administrator (Sydney Dickerson), and its counselor (Scott O'Neal), had actual knowledge and certainly had reason to know of the wrongful activities of the Ringleaders, including the bullying, coercion, and coerced sexual acts.
As to how this could have gone on for so long.
"You would hope they would protect each other, but the bad side of that coin, for the closeness of the community is to keep things within the community," Green says.
Green says there have already been nearly three dozen victims discovered.
Police say several juveniles have been arrested since the investigation began earlier this year.
"If there was a conspiracy to cover this up and obstruct justice there is going to be some serious problems for people," Green says.
The attorney Generals Office and the DOE are reviewing the lawsuit but could not comment further.
Last month, the DOE placed the school principal on leave as its investigation continues.