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According to NBC 5, a Coppell middle school teacher was arrested on sexual assault charges.
Mercedes Genevieve Coloso, 32-years-old, was a teacher at Coppell Middle School North. Coloso faces charges for having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Details regardings the relationship were not disclosed by police as the investigation is ongoing.
Coloso faces charges of indecency with a child, sexual assault of a child, and improper relationship between an educator and student, reported NBC 5.
Attorney contributor Marc Lenahan is an experienced sexual assault lawyer. In an interview, we asked Mark to provide commentary on the legal rights of victims sexually assaulted by a teacher.
"Schools have a legal obligation to protect students enrolled in their school. The teachers and staff within a school are placed in positions of power and expected to uphold these students' safety. Unfortunately, across the country, we have seen cases of teacher sexual assault. The school's responsibility is to do its best to ensure sexual predators are not employed at their schools. To ensure safety, schools should implement safety measures, such as cameras, guards, reporting systems, and background checks. If schools and administrations do not try their best to ensure safety, they may be held liable in a lawsuit."
"Victims and their families of sexual assault by a teacher should first acquire the services of an experienced sexual assault lawyer to explore all their legal options. Next, victims should ask if the school did everything possible to prevent the abuse. If the school did not, it might be considered negligent in a civil lawsuit. An example of negligence is if prior misconduct reports surfaced against a teacher, but they were permitted to continue working. In negligence cases, victims and their families should know they may have grounds for a civil lawsuit and receive compensation for damages."
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