By Victoria Mejicanos
AFRO Intern

Attorneys at Murphy, Falcon and Murphy are suing Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools), alleging that three of their clients were repeatedly and systematically sexually assaulted by Alvin Hunt, a former special education teacher and coach at Calverton Junior High School.

Attorney and former judge William “Billy” Murphy (left) and attorney Janai Woodhouse look on as Collette Lee speaks on alleged abuse suffered at the hands of the late Baltimore City Public Schools teacher, Alvin Hunt. Lee is one of multiple women to file a lawsuit against the city’s public school system, alleging that officials looked the other way when Hunt allegedly violated his victims.
Credit: AP Photo / Lea Skene

All of the lawsuits, filed June 2, allege that BCPS knew about these incidents yet  “failed to properly screen, supervise, and monitor Hunt.”  ​​

Hunt is one of four male teachers accused of sexually assaulting students throughout the 1970s and 1980s, according to a press release from the firm. Several teachers witnessed Hunt’s inappropriate conduct with students, the lawsuits claim, but took no further actions.

“The scars left by this abuse run deep — and so must the accountability. These women were just young girls when they were harmed, and it happened because Baltimore City Public Schools ignored the warning signs and kept allowing Alvin Hunt to teach and coach children. Justice is long overdue for these brave women who came forward,” said William H. Murphy Jr. and Janai Woodhouse, lead attorneys on the case.

Colette Alston, who claimed she was sexually assaulted, harassed and stalked from the time she was 13 to past the time of her graduation, was reportedly groomed by Hunt through his regular purchase of food and gifts for her. 

“To lure students off school grounds, he offered extra credit and tutoring at his house,” the Alston suit alleges. 

Another plaintiff, Pamela Coleman alleges she was drugged and raped in Hunt’s home at just 14 years old. The incident left her pregnant, according to the suit. Even after Coleman gave birth to Hunt’s child, he continued to use threats against the child and Coleman to continue to sexually assault her for another 20 years.

Asked about the lawsuit, BCPS acknowledges in a statement to the AFRO that Hunt “was employed as a City Schools teacher from December 1975 until he retired in October 2005. He returned as a substitute teacher from December 2010 until June 2019.”  But officials offered no further comment, however, citing the ongoing legal proceedings and respect for the privacy and rights of all individuals involved.

These are the first lawsuits filed since amendments to the Child Victims Act  went into effect on June 1. The revised act removes time limits for cases that originally had them, and limits compensation to victims. 

See copies of the lawsuits here:

The post Baltimore City Public Schools sued after allegedly ignoring sexual assault of several students  appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.