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According to the KSDK 5, a former teacher has been accused of molesting a student while employed as a teacher's aid at Lusher Elementary School located at 2015 Mullanphy Rd, Florissant, MO 63031.
The Florissant Police Department has revealed that the 2nd-grade victim accused 38-year-old Deonte Taylor of sexual assault in 2015. The victim explained at that time that the abuse happened when Taylor took the child out of class during school hours. Not only did the victim report the abuse to the police but the school officials as well.
Taylor took a teaching position at Walnut Grove Elementary School in 2018. The school reports that it was not made aware of the allegation from the former school, despite the Hazelwood school district claiming they followed all state and federal requirements for reporting the abuse.
In November of 2018, Taylor was arrested for the incident. Following an outburst by the student in the classroom, the investigation began almost three years later. The police were able to match Tayor's DNA on samples that had been taken from the victim's body and underwear. He was charged with a felony sodomy charge.
While in jail awaiting his trial, Taylor allegedly hired his 68-year-old jail boyfriend to kill both the victim and his family. Taylor offered the sum of $20,000 for the alleged conspiracy to commit the murders. However, the boyfriend had reservations due to his own child being close in age and turned to the police as an informant. Taylor is now facing charges of felony sodomy, conspiracy to commit murder, as well as recklessly risking the infection of another with HIV. His trial is set to proceed later this year.
Attorney contributor Reed Martin, an experienced sexual abuse lawyer, represents victims of sexual abuse in civil lawsuits. We asked Reed to provide insight on the legal options of victims sexually abused by a teacher to help them understand their rights.
“Schools are legally obligated to do everything in their power to maintain a safe learning environment for their students and teachers. Parents trust that when they send their children to school, they are provided safety and protection by all teachers and staff. Unfortunately, sexual predators can gain positions in the school system, awarding them access to students. Both individual schools and the school district should implement security measures to ensure the safety of their students. Examples of such security measures can include background checks, cameras, reporting systems, and more."
“If a school fails to provide proper security for students, the school may be considered liable if misconduct occurs. In this case, victims and their families should seek the services of an experienced sexual assault lawyer to understand their legal options better. Often sexual abuse cases involve negligence on behalf of a third party, such as an employer. An example of negligence would be if the misconduct was reported, but the officials failed to investigate. In cases of negligence, victims and their families should know they may have grounds for a civil lawsuit and could receive compensation for damages."
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