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Freeland High student seeks more than $1 million in lawsuit over teacher sex case
Published: Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 4:11 PM
By Tom Gilchrist | The Saginaw News
BAY CITY — The Freeland High School student who was the victim of sex crimes by teacher Marcie L. Rousseau said his relationship with her was “not consensual,” and his lawyer said the student seeks at least $1 million in damages in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Bay City last week.
The lawsuit names Rousseau, the Freeland Community School District, Freeland Superintendent Matthew A. Cairy, Freeland High School Principal Jonathan Good and former high school Assistant Principal J. Barry Weldon Jr. as defendants.
The suit alleges various community members many times brought to the attention of Cairy, Good and Weldon the “real possibility that Rousseau had engaged in inappropriate behavior with her students on multiple occasions.”
The three administrators “neither completed a proper investigation nor reported the findings as they had a legal and ethical obligation to do,” the student claims in the suit filed by his lawyer, Farmington Hills attorney William R. Seikaly.
The suit alleges the reports either were not investigated or the investigations “were so inadequate as to be in reckless disregard of the rights of those students who came into contact with Rousseau.”
In response to the allegations, Cairy said, “I’m very confident the Freeland Community School District did nothing wrong.”
The Saginaw News could not reach Good or Weldon for comment.
Rousseau, 34, of Thomas Township was sentenced in December to four to 15 years in prison for sex crimes with the student in Saginaw and Midland counties. The victim was 16 at the time of the crimes.
According to police reports, the student admitted to having intercourse at least 100 times with Rousseau — and that the pair engaged in other sex acts at least 75 more times — between May 2009 and February of 2010.
The victim states in his lawsuit that the relationship “was not consensual.” He alleges Rousseau convinced him “that she was in love with him, wanted to marry him and was only sexually involved with him and no other.” The suit alleges Rousseau knew such representations were false and that she made them to seduce the youth.
Rousseau, the lawsuit claims, engaged in unprotected intercourse with the student on numerous occasions. The teenager claims he has suffered and continues to suffer “physical, psychological and emotional injury” because of Rousseau’s “sexual abuse” of him.
Tittabawassee Township Police Department reports accuse Weldon of being “very uncooperative” and “hostile” with officers looking into allegations against then-teacher Rousseau.
Weldon resigned from his Freeland job in the summer, several months after Rousseau was charged.
Police reports state Weldon confirmed he and Rousseau were “planning on being together” after their own divorces. Weldon denied an affair with the teacher, according to the reports. Weldon’s divorce was completed this year. There are no records of divorce proceedings in Saginaw County between Rousseau and her husband, Scott.
The lawsuit makes seven claims under federal law, seeking “in excess of” $1 million in damages per claim. It makes three claims under state law, seeking in excess of $1 million per claim.
Seikaly said the lawsuit seeks “something in excess of $1 million” for damages to the student. The lawyer also wants the case heard in a U.S. District Court in Flint or Detroit, rather than in Bay City.
The student “wishes to pursue this action as far away from the glare of local media attention as possible,” according to his suit.
In court documents, psychiatrist Gerald A. Shiener states that as fellow students, relatives and acquaintances of the student become aware he is the plaintiff, “there will be additional trauma to the (student) which will cause additional problems for him and likely delay attempts at recovery.”
Freeland High student seeks more than $1 million in lawsuit over teacher sex case
Published: Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 4:11 PM
By Tom Gilchrist | The Saginaw News
BAY CITY — The Freeland High School student who was the victim of sex crimes by teacher Marcie L. Rousseau said his relationship with her was “not consensual,” and his lawyer said the student seeks at least $1 million in damages in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Bay City last week.
The lawsuit names Rousseau, the Freeland Community School District, Freeland Superintendent Matthew A. Cairy, Freeland High School Principal Jonathan Good and former high school Assistant Principal J. Barry Weldon Jr. as defendants.
The suit alleges various community members many times brought to the attention of Cairy, Good and Weldon the “real possibility that Rousseau had engaged in inappropriate behavior with her students on multiple occasions.”
The three administrators “neither completed a proper investigation nor reported the findings as they had a legal and ethical obligation to do,” the student claims in the suit filed by his lawyer, Farmington Hills attorney William R. Seikaly.
The suit alleges the reports either were not investigated or the investigations “were so inadequate as to be in reckless disregard of the rights of those students who came into contact with Rousseau.”
In response to the allegations, Cairy said, “I’m very confident the Freeland Community School District did nothing wrong.”
The Saginaw News could not reach Good or Weldon for comment.
Rousseau, 34, of Thomas Township was sentenced in December to four to 15 years in prison for sex crimes with the student in Saginaw and Midland counties. The victim was 16 at the time of the crimes.
According to police reports, the student admitted to having intercourse at least 100 times with Rousseau — and that the pair engaged in other sex acts at least 75 more times — between May 2009 and February of 2010.
The victim states in his lawsuit that the relationship “was not consensual.” He alleges Rousseau convinced him “that she was in love with him, wanted to marry him and was only sexually involved with him and no other.” The suit alleges Rousseau knew such representations were false and that she made them to seduce the youth.
Rousseau, the lawsuit claims, engaged in unprotected intercourse with the student on numerous occasions. The teenager claims he has suffered and continues to suffer “physical, psychological and emotional injury” because of Rousseau’s “sexual abuse” of him.
Tittabawassee Township Police Department reports accuse Weldon of being “very uncooperative” and “hostile” with officers looking into allegations against then-teacher Rousseau.
Weldon resigned from his Freeland job in the summer, several months after Rousseau was charged.
Police reports state Weldon confirmed he and Rousseau were “planning on being together” after their own divorces. Weldon denied an affair with the teacher, according to the reports. Weldon’s divorce was completed this year. There are no records of divorce proceedings in Saginaw County between Rousseau and her husband, Scott.
The lawsuit makes seven claims under federal law, seeking “in excess of” $1 million in damages per claim. It makes three claims under state law, seeking in excess of $1 million per claim.
Seikaly said the lawsuit seeks “something in excess of $1 million” for damages to the student. The lawyer also wants the case heard in a U.S. District Court in Flint or Detroit, rather than in Bay City.
The student “wishes to pursue this action as far away from the glare of local media attention as possible,” according to his suit.
In court documents, psychiatrist Gerald A. Shiener states that as fellow students, relatives and acquaintances of the student become aware he is the plaintiff, “there will be additional trauma to the (student) which will cause additional problems for him and likely delay attempts at recovery.”
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