AWK SAA Secures Key Ruling for Pennsylvania Family
White Plains, NY—Hillary Nappi and Kathleen Devlin of AWK Survivor Advocate Attorneys have secured a major ruling for a Clinton County, Pennsylvania family whose daughter was groomed by three school employees. A judge has ruled that the school district cannot use governmental immunity to avoid the lawsuit, and the case will now move forward toward trial.
Lawsuit Alleges School Employees Groomed Student
AWK SAA represents Abbey Rickert, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of her minor daughter, K.R. The suit accuses Keystone Central School District of failing to stop three of its own employees, a teacher's aide, a food services worker, and a student teacher, from targeting K.R. through social media and text messages. Koch and Kitchen forwarded K.R. nude photos and videos of themselves. Leone sent K.R. photos taken in the shower and discussed personal relationship issues with her. Two of the three later pleaded guilty to criminal charges and are now in prison. The third was never prosecuted and currently teaches at a different Pennsylvania middle school.
School District Raised Governmental Immunity Defense
The district tried to get the case thrown out before trial, arguing it was legally protected from being sued at all. Pennsylvania law generally shields school districts from lawsuits like this one, and there's an exception for sexual abuse. The district raised two arguments to try to escape it. First, it argued the exception only applies if one of the employees actually completed a sex crime against K.R., not just solicited one. Second, it argued that even solicitation shouldn't count here, because K.R. was the victim, not someone being asked to help commit a crime against someone else.
Judge Rules Sexual Solicitation Can Trigger Exception
Judge Craig Miller rejected both arguments. He ruled that solicitation alone is enough to trigger the exception, even without a completed offense, and that courts have already recognized that a minor victim can be the person being solicited. The judge also pointed out that the district's own attorney admitted in court that no higher Pennsylvania court has ever ruled the way the district wanted.
What Happens Next in the School Grooming Lawsuit
The case now heads into discovery, where both sides gather evidence, ahead of a future trial.
Legal Options After School Employee Abuse
If your child was targeted or abused by a school employee, we can talk through your legal options. Contact AWK Survivor Advocate Attorneys for a free, confidential consultation.