Plaintiff,
Defendant.
Plaintiff, JANE DOE, by and through her Guardian, individually, by and through the
undersigned counsel, and pursuant to Maryland Rule 2-341(e) hereby files this Amended
1. Plaintiff filed this action on August 10, 2016. Plaintiff has not yet served
reflecting the changes to the Amended Complaint is attached as Exhibit A. This action
arises out of the sexual abuse of a student by a school teacher, and Defendants' utter failure
to protect the student from the abuse even as the Principal of the school and Chief Operating
Officer of the School Board became aware of the teacher's repeated acts of sexual
citizen and resident of Crownsville, Maryland. Plaintiff is identified in this lawsuit by the
pseudonym JANE DOE ("JANE DOE"), in that this case involves facts of the utmost
intimacy regarding Plaintiff's childhood sexual abuse, and Plaintiff fears ffirther
existing under the laws of Maryland, with its principal office located at 850 Hungerford
Drive, Rockville MD 20850. The SCHOOL BOARD, at all relevant times, operated the
public kindergarten-12th grade education within the Montgomery County Schools. Joshua P.
Starr was the Superintendent of the Schools and managed its day-to-day operations from
2011 to 2014. After Joshua Starr's tenure, Larry A. Bowers, the Chief Operating Officer, was
appointed interim superintendent in 2014. In 2015, Dr. Jack Smith was appointed as the
Elementary School ("the School") in Montgomery County, Florida. JANE DOE was a
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6. Plaintiff seeks damages of not less than $5 million, which is in excess of the
$25,000 jurisdictional minimum of this Court, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorneys'
fees.
7. The acts and conduct giving rise to liability in this case occurred in
8. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to Section
1-501 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Maryland Annotated Code.
domiciled in the state of Maryland. See MD. CODE ANN., CTS. & JUD. PROC. § 6-
102(a).
10. At all times relevant to this lawsuit, Jane Doe was a student enrolled in
11. At all times relevant to this lawsuit, JOHN VIGNA was employed as a teacher
12. At all times relevant to this lawsuit, LARRY A. BOWERS was employed by
13. On February 28, 2008, it was brought to the attention of the Principal, Melissa
Brunson ("Brunson") that JOHN VIGNA was placing students on his lap.
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14. Brunson met with JOHN VIGNA and reprimanded him for placing his
students on his lap. JOHN VIGNA admitted his wrongdoing to Brunson. Brunson gave
JOHN VIGNA a verbal warning to desist from placing students on his lap.
15. On May 30, 2008, Brunson was informed that once again, JOHN VIGNA
continued to place students on his lap, regardless of her verbal warning. Upon learning of
JOHN VIGNA' s continual sexual harassment of his students, Brunson only recommended in
writing that he avail himself of the services provided by the Employees Assistance Program.
16. In 2013, Larry A. Bowers ("Bowers"), who was the Chief Operating Officer at
the time, became aware of similar allegations of JOHN VIGNA placing students on his lap,
17. Upon information and belief, an investigation was conducted into the 2013
allegations. Pending the investigation, JOHN VIGNA was removed from the classroom for a
period of 3 weeks.
18. JOHN VIGNA made a written statement promising to "make every effort to
19. Once the investigation was complete, Bowers issued JOHN VIGNA another
letter of reprimand for the same sexual misconduct reported twice in 2008, placing students
on his lap. Bowers "strongly suggested" in his letter, that JOHN VIGNA seek assistance with
20. Despite the serious allegations and JOHN VIGNA' s apparent disregard for the
prior reprimands, he was permitted to return to work unrestricted after only three weeks of
investigation.
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21. The second letter of reprimand suggesting assistance, without more, was a
clearly unreasonable response after receiving three distinct allegations of sexual harassment
and assault of students by JOHN VIGNA, not reasonably intended to remedy the misconduct.
22. Upon information and belief, due to Brunson' s concerns, JOHN VIGNA was
then transferred from a fifth grade classroom located in a portable, to a third grade classroom
located in a room inside the main school building near the front office.
VIGNA to a third grade class closer to the front office was detrimental to the students under
his care. Firstly, though JOHN VIGNA was closer to the front office, this was a futile
corrective measure since he was not being supervised and, as a result, continued to sexually
assault, abuse or harass his students, including JANE DOE. Secondly, third grade students
are a more vulnerable population susceptible to grooming and sexual abuse; therefore,
Brunson's remedial measure was not only unreasonable, but also facilitated JOHN VIGNA' s
predatory intentions.
supervise and protect students in response to actual notice, it needlessly endangered students,
25. Upon information and belief, during the 2013 to 2014 school year, JOHN
VIGNA was JANE DOE's third grade teacher at Cloverly Elementary School.
26. Upon information and belief, during JANE DOE' s third grade year, JOHN
VIGNA sexually harassed, assaulted, and abused JANE DOE on several occasions. The
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sexual abuse included placing Jane Doe on his lap while he played a movie, and rubbing her
thighs, vagina, and buttocks almost daily over her clothes. On the days JANE DOE wore
skirts, his hands would be directly over her underwear while he committed these sexual
improprieties.
27. Upon information and belief, in JANE DOE's fourth and fifth grade year, she
attended JOHN VIGNA's class to assist him with his third grade students. JOHN VIGNA
also enticed JANE DOE to go to his classroom by buying her candy, gifts, books and paying
for field trips. JANE DOE visited JOHN VIGNA's classroom daily during lunch or right
before dismissal.
28. Upon information and belief, during her fourth and fifth grade years, JOHN
VIGNA' s sexual abuse of JANE DOE intensified. The sexual abuse included digital
penetration of JANE DOE's vagina while wearing a skirt, over her underwear, fondling of
JANE DOE's vagina under her clothes, attempting to stimulate her while making skin to skin
contact, and simulating sexual intercourse while JANE DOE sat on his lap. JANE DOE
recalls feeling JOHN VIGNA's erect penis while he simulated sexual intercourse and rubbed
29. JANE DOE was digitally penetrated on at least three different occasions, each
time lasting longer than the other. JANE DOE also recalls JOHN VIGNA' s curled finger
30. JANE DOE did not disclose the sexual abuse by JOHN VIGNA until 2016,
when she attended a "body safety" class. Upon learning of "good touch" and "bad touch,"
she informed her school counselor of JOHN VIGNA's repeated acts of sexual abuse.
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31. After the sexual abuse had been disclosed and reported to the authorities,
JOHN VIGNA was convicted of third degree sex offenses against four minors, including
JANE DOE.
32. Plaintiff, JANE DOE readopts and realleges all of the allegations set forth in
33. At all relevant times, Defendant SCHOOL BOARD received federal financial
assistance.
34. Plaintiff JANE DOE had a right to not be subject to sexual discrimination,
35. SCHOOL BOARD, through its agents and representatives, had actual notice
that JOHN VIGNA was sexually harassing, sexually assaulting and or sexually abusing
students. This included the School's Principal, Melissa Brunson, and Chief Operating
Officer, Larry A. Bowers, being informed twice in 2008 and once in 2013 about JOHN
VIGNA's common practice of having students sit on his lap. This placed the SCHOOL
sexual assault and, or sexual abuse upon JANE DOE and other students.
36. Brunson and Bowers, and other SCHOOL BOARD officials with actual
notice, had the responsibility to conduct a prompt, reliable, thorough, and impartial
investigation into all of the allegations of sexual harassment and sexual abuse of students by
JOHN VIGNA, which they failed to do upon receiving multiple complaints about JOHN
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VIGNA' s sexual harassment of studenis in 2008 and in 2013. Brunson, Bowers, and other
SCHOOL BOARD officials with actual notice, had authority to address the acts of sexual
harassment of students by JOHN VIGNA and institute corrective measures. Instead, even as
corrective measures were instituted by the SCHOOL BOARD, and any that were instituted,
were perfunctory, superficial, insufficient and wholly inadequate to address the misconduct
and protect students, including JANE DOE. Consequently, any corrective measures taken by
37. The decisions of Brunson, Bowers, and SCHOOL BOARD to allow JOHN
VIGNA unfettered contacts with JANE DOE, and other students, subsequent to the above-
corrective measures, were official decisions to ignore the danger of sexual harassment, sexual
38. Brunson and Bowers knew that JOHN VIGNA had sexually harassed and
sexually assaulted the students in his class by placing students on his lap despite the various
reprimands, and as a direct and proximate result of their deliberate indifference and failure to
act, JOHN VIGNA continued to sexually assault and sexually abuse JANE DOE on school
grounds.
VIGNA sexually harassed and sexually assaulted students in his class, Brunson, Bowers and
SCHOOL BOARD could have instituted any of a number of corrective measures that would
have prevented any sexual harassment or sexual abuse of students on school grounds
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including without limitation, (i) termination of JOIN VIGNA; (ii) long-term suspension of
JOHN VIGNA; (iii) reassigning JOHN VIGNA to another position where he would have no
direct contact with students; (iv) reassigning JOHN VIGNA to another position where he
would have no authority over students; (v) reassigning JOHN VIGNA to another position
with older students more likely to report inappropriate behavior and better capable of
protecting themselves; (vi) assigning staff to monitor JOHN VIGNA' s activities on school
school grounds; (viii) notifying students and parents/guardians of JOHN VIGNA' s conduct
and its inappropriateness so that students might be more cautious when coming in contact
with him and more comfortable reporting any further suspected sexual harassment or sexual
abuse; and/or (ix) implementing any such other measures reasonably intended or designed to
protect students at the School, including JANE DOE, from sexual harassment or sexual
abuse. Despite receipt of actual notice, Brunson, Bowers, SCHOOL BOARD, and their
agents and representatives, acted with deliberate indifference in failing to institute any of the
40. As a result of this gross failure to act, JANE DOE was sexually harassed,
indifference in response to actual notice, Plaintiff JANE DOE has suffered severe
psychological, emotional and physical injuries, and emotional distress arising out of the
physical injuries, pain and suffering, mental anguish, inconvenience, loss of capacity for the
enjoyment of life, inability to lead a normal life, shame, humiliation and regression, costs
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condition and the same losses associated with such. The injuries and damages are permanent
and continuing in nature and the Plaintiff will suffer such losses in the future.
WHEREFORE, Plaintiff JANE DOE respectfully requests that this Court enter
judgment against the SCHOOL BOARD, and award all damages including compensatory
damages and special damages, costs, interest, attorneys' fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1988 in
an amount in excess of $75,000, the precise amount to be established at trial, and any other
42. Plaintiff, JANE DOE readopts and realleges all of the allegations set forth in
43. SCHOOL BOARD was in a "special relationship" with JANE DOE, such that
it had a duty to protect JANE DOE from foreseeable harm on school grounds and during
school-related activities. In this regard, SCHOOL BOARD was in loco parentis with the
School's students, including JANE DOE. At all material times, SCHOOL BOARD owed a
duty to protect, and ensure the safety, care, well-being and health of the minor JANE DOE
while she was under the care, custody or in the presence of the School. These duties
encompassed the protection of JANE DOE from harm by a School employee, and otherwise
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employee, such that it had a duty to take steps to make sure that JOHN VIGNA was safe
45. Defendant knew or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known that
JOHN VIGNA was dangerous and a threat to the health, safety and welfare of his students,
46. Defendant had a duty in hiring, retaining and supervising JOHN VIGNA to
47. Defendant by and through its agents, servants, and employees, knew or should
have known of JOHN VIGNA's dangerous sexual propensities, and that he was unfit to serve
sexual propensities as described above, Defendant breached its duty to protect JANE DOE by
allowing JOHN VIGNA to serve as a teacher, giving him access to young students despite
knowing of his dangerous sexual propensities, and by failing to institute any supervision of
49. Defendant breached its duties by failing to protect the minor, JANE DOE,
from sexual assault, harassment and abuse committed upon JANE DOE while she was
50. At all relevant times, Defendant breached its duty in retaining and supervising
JOHN VIGNA, which placed JOHN VIGNA in a position to sexually harass, assault and
51. As a direct and proximate result of SCHOOL BOARD's breach of its duty
relating to the retention and supervision of JOHN VIGNA, whom the Defendant knew posed
a foreseeable risk of sexual misconduct with his students, JANE DOE was sexually harassed,
52. Given the actual and constructive knowledge of the SCHOOL BOARD
concerning the dangerous propensities of JOHN VIGNA, the sexual abuse of JANE DOE
53. With such actual and constructive knowledge, the SCHOOL BOARD retained
JOHN VIGNA, and failed to adequately supervise his acts and conduct with students,
54. Because the SCHOOL BOARD was acting in loco parentis, it had a duty to
warn JANE DOE's guardian(s) that JOHN VIGNA posed a risk of harm to JANE DOE, and
55. The SCHOOL BOARD breached its duty in failing to warn JANE DOE'S
56. At all relevant times, the SCHOOL BOARD created an environment which
fostered educator sexual misconduct with the children it had a duty to protect, including
JANE DOE.
57. At all relevant times, the SCHOOL BOARD had inadequate policies and
procedures to protect children they were entrusted to care for and protect, including JANE
DOE.
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58. At all relevant times, the SCHOOL BOARD failed to adequately train staff in
59. The SCHOOL BOARD' s negligent acts and omissions reflect a recklessness
and conscious disregard for the safety and well-being of female students, including JANE
DOE.
Plaintiff JANE DOE has suffered severe psychological, emotional and physical injuries, and
emotional distress arising out of the physical injuries, pain and suffering, mental anguish,
inconvenience, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, inability to lead a normal life,
shame, humiliation and regression, costs associated with medical/psychological care and
or physical defect or activation of a latent condition and the same losses associated with
such. The injuries and damages are permanent and continuing in nature and the Plaintiff will
negligent count only, that this Court enter judgment against the SCHOOL BOARD and
award all damages including compensatory damages and special damages any other relief
that this Court deems just and proper not in an amount not to exceed $100,000.
Plaintiff hereby requests a trial by jury on all issues contained in this Complaint.
Dated:
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STEVEN J. KELLY
SILVERMAN THOMPSON SLUTKIN & WHITE
LLC
201 N. Charles Street, Suite 2600
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(410) 385-2225
Fax: (410) 547-2432
skelly@mdattorncy.com
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on the 3rd day of October, 2017, I will serve the foregoing
Amended Complaint upon Defendant along with the Summons, original Complaint and all
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