A Plano woman is suing a private school along with its principal and a former teacher alleging the educator sexually “groomed” her young daughter as well as another student.
The lawsuit against Great Lakes Academy, a Plano private school with a focus on students with learning differences, alleges the two minor students were victims of grooming by a teacher who’s now in jail. The mother brought the suit on behalf of her child late last month; the second student was added to the suit days later.
Ty Stimpson, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said the school and its principal allowed grooming behavior for years. The ex-teacher, Jacob Allred, was sentenced last year to20 years for two counts of sexual performance of a child and improper relationship between educator and student.
While Allred was a teacher there, Stimpson said the academy “failed the students." He said they didn’t properly supervise or maintain a safe environment. The mother learned that the school principal knew that Allred had made sexual advances on students but didn’t "terminate Allred for such predatory behaviors,” according to the lawsuit
School students were “susceptible to his grooming and his tactics,” Stimpson said.
“You know, these are vulnerable kids,” he said.
The suit seeks at least $1,000,000 in compensation.
Defendants have 30 days to file a response.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Great Lakes Academy said “the safety and well-being of our students is paramount. Our role…is to foster a safe, positive and nurturing environment where children can learn.
“While we strongly disagree with the characterization of events outlined in the filing, we will navigate this process with the dignity, sensitivity, and respect it deserves.”
The lawsuit comes amid a spate of accusations against teachers across North Texas.
Last week, news reports said a Garland ISD high school staffer was placed on leave after being arrested for indecency with a child. The district said the child wasn’t a Garland ISD student. The incident is under investigation.
On Friday, the Celina Police Department announced it had arrested a teacher in the school district for invasive visual recording.
And a former Southlake substitute teacher, Jennifer Powers, was released recently from federal custody accused of sex trafficking women for a New York financier’s so-called “sex dungeon.” Powers substitute taught at Carroll ISD but was dismissed, according to the district.
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
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