Hildebran Elementary School Child Pornography Teacher Sex Abuse—Additional Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed
In an ever-widening child sex abuse case which started with an email to the Marsh Law Firm from a parent who was concerned about child pornography in her child’s elementary school, an additional lawsuit claims the former principal was notified of the abuse years ago but took no action to protect students.
The family of another young child who attends Hildebran Elementary School in Burke County, North Carolina, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court sitting in Asheville, North Carolina.
The lawsuit names as defendants Burke County Public Schools Board of Education, school guidance counselor Linda Bradshaw, former teacher Michael Alexander, and numerous other unidentified persons, for violations of the U.S. Constitution, the North Carolina Constitution, and other Federal and State laws.
The details of the case are as follows:
The horrifying sexual exploitation and distribution of child sex abuse images involving dozens of Burke County school children came to light in June 2012 when the European Police Office (EUROPOL) intercepted a child pornography syndicate operating in Spain. This spurred an investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, who established that many of the victims were abused and filmed by Alexander inside Hildebran Elementary School during school hours. Alexander has since been sentenced to almost 50 years in prison.
Throughout his 12 year tenure, Alexander was allowed to excuse young girls from other classes and school activities and keep them with him alone long enough to engage in sex acts and, for some, create and distribute child sex abuse images to a worldwide audience.
The previously filed lawsuit alleged that the child reported Alexander’s misconduct to her guidance counselor, Bradshaw, and that she was accused of lying and sent her back to Alexander’s class.
One of the new suits filed is on behalf of a young girl who was being abused by Alexander at the very same time as the previous victim.
As with the previous suit, this victim is represented by Washington, DC attorneys Douglas Fierberg and Peter Grenier. Messrs. Fierberg and Grenier previously represented approximately 20 victims of the massacre at Virginia Tech University, and were responsible for negotiating the historic settlement with the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Mr. Fierberg is currently lead counsel in a number of sexual abuse and school violence lawsuits across the country, including for the victims of the 2010 massacre at the University of Alabama, Huntsville.
Raleigh attorney, Robert M. Tatum, is co-counsel. Mr. Tatum proudly served with the U.S. Army Special Forces and has been successful in numerous federal and state suits involving sexual abuse of students, including against the Brunswick County Board of Education.
The original case was evaluated and referred by the Marsh Law Firm PLLC which is one of the nation’s premier law firms representing victims of child pornography.
Concerning this new lawsuit, Mr. Fierberg states, “It has become clear that this school and its senior officials turned a blind eye to numerous reports of heinous misconduct by Alexander towards his young students. The deliberate indifference to these children cannot ever be tolerated or repeated by teachers and officials responsible for our children. These lawsuits not only seek compensation, but also send a message to schools and adults entrusted with children’s safety that they will be held accountable if they refuse to protect children from such atrocities.”
A.B. v. Burke County Public Schools by Marsh Law Firm PLLC