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The Collier County School Board has fired an elementary school teacher who is accused of sexually abusing students at Parkside Elementary School in Naples. The Board made this decision during a meeting on Tuesday, March 5.
Three young girls have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse by 30-year-old Hector Manley, who was a second greed teacher at Parkside. The CCSB believes there may be additional victims.
Manley was arrested last week and booked into the Collier County Jail on three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, victims under 12 years old. He was released on $60,000 bond last Saturday. He has since been charged with an additional 10 counts of the same offense and one count of capital sexual battery on a child younger than 12.
The abuse is believed to have occurred during the 2017-18 school year, according to the sheriff's office.
Attorney contributor Michael Haggard represents survivors of sexual assault in civil lawsuits. Here is some insight from Michael on how survivors of sexual abuse by school employees can find justice through the legal system:
Sexual predators often seek out positions of trust and authority in fields like education. These predators then exploit their trust and authority in order to commit heinous crimes. We regularly see this in the news with stories of teachers, coaches, religious leaders, and other authority figures being arrested for sexual abuse. The victims of these crimes deserve justice and the perpetrators must be held accountable. It's also important to determine if a third party, such as a school district, was negligent for failing to prevent the abuse.
For example, a school might be considered negligent for ignoring previous allegations of sexual misconduct or inappropriate behavior by a teacher, or for failing to run a background check before hiring a new employee who had a history of sexual misconduct.
If you or your child is a survivor of sexual abuse by a school employee, we understand how painful this time has been for your family and we want to help. You can learn more about your family's legal options by contacting one of our experienced sexual abuse survivors lawyers for a free consultation.
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