Michigan School Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

Helping Michigan Survivors of School Sexual Abuse Seek Justice and Compensation

At Injury Lawyer Team, we represent survivors in Michigan school sexual abuse lawsuits against systems that failed to protect students. When sexual abuse happens in a classroom, on school grounds, on a bus, or during an activity, the harm can follow a child into adulthood. If you were sexually abused, you deserve clear answers, support, and a path to financial compensation.

Lawsuits Alleging Sexual Abuse at Michigan Schools

Across Michigan, survivors have filed lawsuits describing school sexual abuse by adults who held access to kids through classrooms, sports, transportation, and extracurricular activities.

Lakewood Public Schools

Public reporting says Lakewood Public Schools settled a lawsuit brought by four young women who alleged inappropriate touching by Chad Curtis while he worked at Lakewood High School. Separate reporting in West Michigan has also described a Lakewood High School staff member accused of sexual conduct with a sixteen-year-old student.

Saginaw Intermediate School District

Some sexual abuse cases have also referenced the Saginaw Intermediate School District in a federal complaint that alleges serious failures connected to abuse in custody-type programming.

Bedford Public Schools

Multiple outlets have reported on a lawsuit filed in Monroe County that accuses Bedford Public Schools of covering up school sexual abuse involving former teacher Christopher Wilhelm and a seventeen-year-old student. Reports describe claims that the school district and leadership failed to act after learning about the situation.

Huron Valley Schools

In late 2025, news reports described lawsuits filed by families against Huron Valley after a substitute teacher who worked at an elementary school in the district was convicted of criminal sexual conduct. Reports describe allegations that the school district and others failed to protect students and did not respond in a way that kept kids safe.

Spring Mills Schools

Public reporting and official statements identify Spring Mills Elementary School as the site where substitute teacher Timothy Daugherty engaged in sexual contact with students. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office announced a jury conviction on six counts of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.

Michigan State University

The Larry Nassar case remains one of the most visible examples of institutional sexual abuse litigation in Michigan. Nassar, a former sports doctor at Michigan State University, was convicted after victims said he abused them during medical examinations.

Who Can File a School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit in Michigan?

Under Michigan law, the right person to file depends on the survivor’s age and what happened.

If a child is still under 18, a parent or legal guardian can usually file a civil lawsuit on the child’s behalf against a school district or other private schools. Families often file after they learn sexual abuse occurred on school grounds, during a school activity, or through contact that started in the school setting.

Many school sexual abuse lawsuits come from people who are now adults and were sexually abused as students. You can file your own case as a former student, even if the abuse happened years ago. Timing still matters, so the statute of limitations becomes a major issue in almost every set of sexual abuse lawsuits.

Who Can Be Sued in Michigan School Sex Abuse Cases?

Many sexual abuse cases name more than one defendant. The alleged perpetrator matters, but institutions often controlled access, supervision, and reporting. Depending on the facts, responsible parties may include:

• The individual offender, including a former teacher, coach, aide, or other school employees
• The school district when the district failed to take reasonable steps to protect students
• School administrators who ignored complaints, minimized reports, or failed to act
• Other entities tied to the school program, transportation, or activities

A complaint may also focus on whether the system followed the rules to report suspected abuse and protect kids once concerns surfaced. In some cases, a lawsuit points to an institutional cover-up that let abuse continue.

How Do Michigan School Districts Fail to Protect Students?

Most school sexual abuse claims do not hinge on one legal label. They hinge on proof. Who knew, what they did, and how the sexual abuse occurred. Common legal theories in sexual abuse lawsuits against a Michigan school include:

• Negligent hiring, screening, and retention. The case argues the school brought the wrong person into contact with kids, or kept them there after red flags. This shows up in cases involving a former teacher or other adult with daily access.
• Negligent supervision. Schools must supervise adults and students in ways that reduce risk. When hall passes, one-on-one meetings, unlocked rooms, or unsupervised transport allow sexual assault, a civil lawsuit often points to the gaps that made it possible.
• Failure to investigate and respond to allegations. A complaint may say the administration brushed off reports, treated grooming as “rumors,” or delayed action after sexual abuse allegations surfaced. That can look like ignoring a student’s report, downplaying sexual harassment, or discounting a parent’s warning.
• Failure to report and failure to act on grooming behavior. Schools sometimes hear about boundary-crossing before anyone reports an assault. Grooming can include private communications, favors, secret meetings, and sexually explicit comments. When the school does not take protective steps, the risk of sex abuse rises quickly.
• Premises and operational negligence. Some cases focus on how physical spaces and routines enabled abuse: unsupervised rooms, camera blind spots, inadequate hallway monitoring, or poor supervision during after-school activities and trips.
• Institutional liability for employees and agents. When school staff commits sexual abuse, the case may argue that the institution carries responsibility for the harm because it put the adult in a position of authority. This is one route to showing the responsible parties extend beyond the individual alleged perpetrator.
• Federal civil rights and Title IX claims in some cases. Certain sexual abuse cases involve federal claims when a school’s deliberate indifference to known harassment or abuse keeps students unsafe. Those cases often run alongside state-law negligence theories.
• 42 U.S. Code § 1983. Civil action can be filed for deprivation of rights, i.e. violation of the bodily integrity of a student

Is There a Difference Between Cases Involving Private vs Public Schools in Michigan?

Private schools often have fewer layers of bureaucracy, which can make internal decisions easier to trace. In many sex abuse lawsuits, the evidence centers on:

• What administrators knew about the former teacher or staff member
• Whether the school enforced boundaries and supervision
• Whether the school responded to grooming, complaints, or sexual harassment
• Whether the school had a history of similar incidents

Private schools may also have insurers and parent organizations that influence settlement posture. In a civil lawsuit, this can affect how quickly seeking compensation moves from demand to meaningful talks.

Public school cases usually name the school district and, sometimes, specific decision-makers. These claims can raise additional defenses tied to governmental immunity and notice requirements, and they can trigger challenges in Michigan courts over what claims can proceed and against whom. That does not mean the case cannot succeed. It means the pleadings and proof need to fit the rules. In public school abuse lawsuits, common themes include:

• The district ignored prior complaints or discipline history
• School leaders failed to remove the employee from student access
• The district did not respond properly once it learned the student faced danger
• The district’s policies created predictable opportunities for sexual abuse

These cases can also overlap with public investigations, including inquiries connected to the Michigan Attorney General or the Michigan Department of Education, depending on the facts and the institution involved.

How Much Can Michigan Survivors Recover Following Alleged Abuse by a Former Teacher?

In Michigan school sexual abuse matters, the value of a case depends on what happened, how long it lasted, and what the institution did after the first warning signs. A strong civil lawsuit can seek money damages that reflect the real-world impact of sexual abuse, including:

• Therapy and mental health care. Trauma treatment, counseling, psychiatry, medication support, and related services tied to mental health symptoms after school sexual abuse.
• Medical expenses. Exams, treatment, and follow-up care, plus related costs that may be supported by medical records.
• Emotional distress and life disruption. Many survivors describe long-term anxiety, sleep disruption, isolation, panic, and relationship fallout. This can include emotional harm and psychological harm, even when the abuse happened years ago.
• Education and career impact. Missed school, transfer costs, tutoring, delayed graduation, and lost opportunities after an experience that never should have happened.
• Institutional accountability factors. Cases often rise in value when evidence shows a former teacher had prior complaints, the school ignored warning signs, or the legal process reveals decision-makers stayed passive while students remained exposed.

Why Choose Injury Lawyer Team

If you were sexually abused in a Michigan school, you deserve a firm that treats your story with respect and has the resources to take on a school district or a private institution that wants to deny, delay, or blame you. Schools control access to kids every day. When adults misuse that access, survivors and families end up carrying the damage.

• No fee unless we win. We handle school sexual abuse lawsuits on a contingency fee. You don’t pay us up front, and you don’t pay hourly.
• Proven results in high-stakes sex abuse cases. We secured a $15,000,000 settlement on behalf of several boys who were groomed and abused by a private school coach. 
• A focused plan for school sexual abuse claims. We build cases around what the institution knew, when it knew it, and how the school failed to act. That includes digging into complaints, discipline records, emails, and the steps school officials and school administrators took or refused to take.
• Trusted by respected legal organizations. Our lawyers have earned recognitions and memberships that include Super Lawyers® and the American Association for Justice (AAJ).

If you’re thinking about coming forward, we’ll meet you with privacy and respect. A confidential consultation can help you understand whether a civil lawsuit makes sense, what the legal process looks like, and how we can help you pursue financial compensation after school sexual abuse.

How Long Do Current and Former Students Have to File Civil Lawsuits in Michigan?

Deadlines control almost every set of Michigan sexual abuse lawsuits, and the statute of limitations can change depending on the survivor’s age at the time of the abuse and the legal theory used.

Michigan’s civil law (MCL 600.5851b) gives additional time for minors who were victims of conduct that qualifies as criminal sexual conduct. Michigan courts and statutory materials describe a framework that allows filing up to the survivor’s 28th birthday, and also recognizes a discovery-based extension in some situations.

Michigan law (MCL 600.5805) also provides a longer limitations period for civil actions seeking damages “because of criminal sexual conduct,” listed as 10 years in the statute.

Michigan lawmakers have also continued pushing reforms. A legislative package the Michigan House of Representatives advanced in December 2024 aimed to expand civil deadlines further and create a one-year window for certain older claims, but coverage at the time described it as still needing action in the other chamber.

Because this kind of proposal can change, the safest approach is to treat deadlines as urgent until verified under current law. The right move is to get the dates straight, identify where the contact happened, and preserve anything that supports the timeline of sexual abuse and the school’s response.

What to Do If Your Child Was Sexually Abused at a Michigan School

Start with safety. If you believe your child faces immediate risk, keep them away from the school employees involved and push for a no-contact plan in writing. If the abuse occurred during school hours, on a bus, or through an activity, the school must treat it as an urgent safety issue, not a “discipline matter.”

Get medical care if you need it. A forensic exam can matter in sexual abuse cases, and early treatment can reduce long-term harm. If your child receives care, keep copies of discharge paperwork and any follow-up plans. Those records can become important later, especially if your family ends up needing medical records to support damages.

Report it to law enforcement and child protective services when appropriate. Many families worry about making the wrong call. The bigger risk comes from waiting while evidence disappears. A criminal investigation does not replace a civil case, but it can preserve proof.

Notify the school in writing and insist on a real response. Ask who will investigate, what safety steps will happen today, and whether the accused adult will be removed from student access while the school looks into it. Schools sometimes downplay grooming as “inappropriate jokes” or “a misunderstanding,” even when students describe escalating behavior like sexually explicit comments, private messages, or one-on-one meetings.

Document what you can without pushing your child to relive the experience. Save emails, texts, screenshots, discipline notices, schedules, and the names of anyone your child told. Write down dates, locations, and who had supervision. If other families come forward, don’t coordinate stories. Let investigators do their work.

Get support for your child’s recovery. Sexual abuse can surface as anxiety, sleep problems, anger, self-blame, and withdrawal. Therapy helps many kids regain stability after a school trauma. The school should not control the provider or the narrative.

A lot of families feel pressure to keep it quiet. That silence protects the wrong person. When a school tries to move on without answers, it often signals that the school failed at the most basic job: keep kids safe.

How to File a Michigan School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Step one: Talk with legal counsel early

The first conversation stays private. You can share only what you feel comfortable sharing. Our sexual abuse lawyerswill focus on timing, available proof, and who may be responsible. Timing matters because the statute of limitations can block claims even when the facts are clear.

Step two: Identify the responsible parties and legal theories

A school sexual assault case may name the individual who abused the child and the institution that enabled access. Our experienced attorneys will look at whether the school ignored warnings, failed to supervise, or kept a known risk in a student-facing role. If your child was harmed by another student, the analysis may involve whether the school responded properly.

Step three: Preserve evidence and build the case file

This phase often includes requesting records, identifying witnesses, and building a timeline. We may seek:

• Student and personnel records where allowed
• Prior complaints, investigations, and discipline history
• Communications between administrators and staff
• Safety plans and supervision policies

In some sexual abuse cases, evidence also includes medical and therapy documentation, because the harm often extends far beyond the initial incident.

Step four: Draft and file the lawsuit

We prepare the complaint and file it in the proper court. The filing explains what happened and why the institution should answer for it. A well-written complaint shows how abuse occurred, how the school responded, and what failures let it continue. In other words, it connects the facts to the law.

Step five: Discovery, settlement talks, and trial readiness

After filing, both sides exchange information. Depositions and document production can expose patterns, including prior complaints or hidden discipline. Many cases resolve through settlement, but a credible case requires trial preparation from day one.

FAQs

What Constitutes School Sexual Abuse?

School sexual abuse includes any unwanted or illegal sexual acts involving a student, including grooming and boundary violations that set a child up for harm. It can involve any sexual misconduct by an adult or sexually abusive activity by another student. Some cases include sexual exploitation, coercion, or conduct tied to sex crimes like child pornography.

Do Survivors Need to Press Charges to Eligibile for a Lawsuit?

No. A civil case can move forward even if no criminal case happens. Many survivors file civil claims based on what the complaint alleges the school knew and failed to address.

What If the Abuser Is Deceased?

You may still have options. We can hold the school liable for conduct related to hiring, supervision, or failure to act. In some situations, claims can also involve the abuser’s estate.

Do Survivors Need to Reveal Their Identity When Filing a Lawsuit?

Not always. Courts sometimes allow survivors, including sexually abused students, to use initials or a pseudonym, especially in cases involving childhood sexual abuse. We can ask for privacy protections as part of the legal action.

Secure Expert Legal Counsel

If you were sexually abused at a Michigan school, you deserve options that put your safety and financial recovery first. Whether the harm involved sexual assault, grooming, sexual exploitation, child pornography, or child sexually abusive activity that the school ignored, you can still explore legal action.

However, deadlines matter. The statute of limitations can cut off strong claims, so it helps to consult an attorney sooner rather than later, even if you’re still sorting out what happened or you only recently understood the impact of the alleged abuse. 

A civil case can move forward even when criminal charges never happened, even when the person accused of sexually assaulting students no longer works in the school system, and even when the institution feels untouchable, as high-profile litigation involving Michigan State University has shown.

If you want to seek justice and pursue compensation, an experienced sexual abuse attorney from Injury Lawyer Team can talk with you privately, explain next steps, and help you decide what’s the best course of action.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.