You might think that Mount Dora is an ideal place to keep your children safe. While it generally is, there is still the possibility of teacher-initiated sexual abuse, which can occur almost anywhere.
Law enforcement works tirelessly to lock predators up, but there is something you can do to recover compensation for the physical, emotional, and psychological harm done. Teacher sex abuse claims in Mount Dora are real, and our compassionate personal injury attorneys can handle the details of a lawsuit, so you do not have to relive the nightmare.
Teachers and administrators have a duty to protect the children in their care. Children younger than 18 cannot consent to a sexual relationship, and under Florida law, touching, fondling, penetrating, or engaging in sexual intercourse with one is statutory rape, leaving the young person traumatized even to the point of suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.
About 35 percent of teacher-predators groom their victims after targeting them on social media. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the largest organization fighting sexual violence in the U.S., parents can take some pro-active measures to lessen the chance of sex abuse:
Even when parents are vigilant, teacher sex abuse happens. When a child admits they have been victimized, law enforcement should become involved, and so should a Mount Dora attorney from the Umansky Law Firm, who can file negligence claims against the perpetrator, the Lake County School District, and the applicable school administration.
Look for mood changes in children abused by an adult. If they admit the abuse, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline is invaluable. It can be reached at 800-656-HOPE. Some teens who are of age might balk at a parent’s involvement, but Florida teachers are violating the profession’s ethics standards and must be held accountable. First, reassure the child that they are right to confess to a parent and no additional harm will come to them. Consult their primary care physician and ask that any evidence of an assault be preserved for a pending lawsuit.
Any sexual contact between an adult and child is against the law in Florida, but so are non-contact acts including watching pornographic movies together or coercing a child into provocative poses and filming them. Contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to investigate, and an attorney handling in teacher sex abuse claims in Mount Dora to file a lawsuit against the perpetrators and enablers of this reckless conduct.
Civil lawsuits for compensation are based on tort law surrounding negligence or recklessness. Teachers are reckless when they knowingly engage in illegal behavior that puts children at risk, and the school administration and county school system are negligent for not having discerned this behavior and stopped it.
Negligence occurs when a person or group exhibits behavior that is not consistent with a reasonable person’s behavior. If their actions cause injuries to the plaintiff, negligence is established. Recklessness is knowingly engaging in outrageous conduct but doing it anyway, causing direct harm to another. The experienced lawyers at the Umansky Law Firm take teacher sex assault claims in Mount Dora with the utmost seriousness and will work diligently toward a compensation package for the abused child.
Children who are abused by teachers, coaches, and others tasked with protecting them deserve compensation for what has been done to them. This can include medical care for sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies, and counseling for the damage inflicted before a child is ready for sexual activity.
Civil lawsuits are a viable way to hold the perpetrator accountable and be awarded the money needed for the child to heal, which could be a long, arduous, and expensive proposition. If you are aware of teacher sex abuse claims in Mount Dora, contact an aggressive advocate at The Umansky Law Firm.
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