The Salina School District has agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle a lawsuit with 15 students who say they were inappropriately touched by former teacher John Horner.
The settlement agreement says the District will pay $1 million and $1.6 million will be paid by the school’s sinking fund over 3 years.
The lawsuit says a student came forward in March of 2019 complaining about Horner’s behavior but the school said it did an internal investigation and no further investigation was needed.
It says that weekend, several parents and students went to police with similar complaints of students being touched and made to feel uncomfortable and that started a police investigation, where officers found complaints dating back to 2018.
Police learned it was so prevalent, upper classmen warned younger students about Horner, who some called, Mr. Horny.
The lawsuit says the complaints started well before then.
It says in 2014, a girl came forward and when the mother went to the school, was told the girl was embellishing because of her bad math grade.
It says in 2015, a boy told his mother Horner forced a girl sit on his lap and that mother contacted the school who and learned a group of boys had actually come forward with concerns.
The lawsuit says kids were told not to talk about the allegations and told they would be disciplined, if they did.
Horner was fired in 2020.
In 2023, Horner pled guilty to 9 counts of lewd molestation and got a 7 year suspended sentence.
The girls are still suing Horner.
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