Portland schools to pay $125K to settle abuse lawsuit

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland Public Schools has agreed to pay $125,000 to a 9-year-old girl with developmental disabilities who alleged that a district employee molested her twice in a school bathroom.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Wednesday that a district spokesman declined to say why the district agreed to the settlement despite a trial last year where a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge found that employee Brett Christy-Hamilton wasn’t guilty of sexually abusing the girl.

After the judge acquitted Christy-Hamilton, the girl’s mother filed a $7.5 million lawsuit against the district, claiming it had failed to protect her child.

The district fired Christy-Hamilton in April.

Christy-Hamilton has sent letters to the district saying he intends to sue for failing to safeguard employees against false accusations of sexual abuse by requiring paraeducators to help students alone in the bathroom.

He hasn’t yet filed a lawsuit.

___

Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com