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PORT TOWNSEND — A woman suing the Port Townsend School District over an alleged sexual relationship with a teacher will seek a new trial.
The negligence lawsuit was revived last month by a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit.
James Bendell, the lawyer for the anonymous plaintiff said Tuesday he will file for a new trial next week.
The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff — a female student who attended Port Townsend High School — had an ongoing sexual affair with former teacher Randy Sheriff during the mid-1990s and that the school district failed to intervene.
The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the school district because it “knew or should have known that a sexual relationship was occurring between plaintiff and defendant Randy Sheriff. Defendant Port Townsend School District failed to properly investigate this matter and failed to take appropriate steps to intervene or stop it,”‘ according to the original complaint filed in Jefferson County Superior Court.
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