If your child was sexually abused at school, your child’s safety and emotional well-being should come first. If there is any immediate danger, contact emergency services or local authorities right away.

You may also want to seek support from a trusted medical provider, therapist, counselor, or victim advocate. Abuse involving a teacher, coach, school employee, volunteer, or another student can be deeply traumatic, and your child deserves care and support.

If possible, preserve anything that may help document what happened, including text messages, emails, photos, school communications, incident reports, disciplinary records, names of witnesses, or any prior complaints made to the school.

You do not have to navigate this alone. An attorney can help your family understand your rights, protect your privacy, and determine whether the school, school district, or another responsible party may be legally responsible.

A school may be held responsible if it failed to take reasonable steps to protect a child from sexual abuse. These cases may involve public schools, private schools, boarding schools, charter schools, religious schools, or other educational programs.

A school may be liable if it failed to properly screen, train, supervise, or remove a teacher, coach, staff member, volunteer, or other person who had access to students.

Schools may also be responsible if they ignored warning signs, failed to investigate complaints, allowed unsafe one-on-one access, failed to follow reporting procedures, or prioritized the reputation of the school over the safety of children.

Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse do not come forward right away. Some children may feel afraid, confused, ashamed, or pressured to stay silent, especially when the abuse involved someone in a position of trust or authority.

Even if the abuse happened years ago, you or your child may still have legal options. Some states have extended deadlines or special legal windows that allow survivors of childhood sexual abuse to bring claims after the standard deadline has passed.

Because these laws vary by state, speaking with an attorney can help you understand whether a claim may still be possible.

No amount of money can undo what happened, but a civil lawsuit may help survivors and families pursue accountability and support for the harm caused by abuse.

Compensation may include:

• Counseling, therapy, and mental health treatment
• Medical expenses related to the abuse
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and trauma
• Lost income or reduced earning capacity
• Loss of quality of life
• Other long-term effects of abuse

A lawsuit may also help uncover failures within a school or school district and help protect other children from being harmed in the future.

Sexual abuse cases involving schools require compassion, privacy, and the resources to investigate institutions that may have failed to protect children. Families deserve to be treated with dignity, care, and respect throughout the legal process.

Morgan & Morgan is America’s Largest Injury Law Firm, with 1,100 attorneys and over 35 years of experience handling serious injury and abuse-related claims. The firm has recovered more than $35 billion for clients and has the resources to investigate complex cases involving schools, school districts, teachers, coaches, staff members, and institutional failures.

If your child was harmed at school, Morgan & Morgan can review your case, explain your legal options, and help your family take the next step at your own pace.

Morgan & Morgan works on a contingency fee basis, meaning the Fee Is Free™—you only pay if we win your case. You can start with a free, confidential case evaluation.