Ohio School District to Pay Nearly $500K to Settle Sex Abuse Lawsuits

A central Ohio school district has agreed to pay nearly a half-million dollars to settle lawsuits filed by families of students who were sexually abused by a teacher.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that the Olentangy Local School District is paying $235,000 to settle one suit and $125,000 to settle another. A third agreement for $130,000 is pending in Delaware County Probate Court because it involves a girl who is still a minor.

Matthew Rausenberg was accused of groping and assaulting at least nine girls at Arrowhead Elementary over the years. He had taught in the district for 14 years.

He is serving a prison sentence of more than 100 years after being convicted in 2016 on multiple counts of gross sexual imposition, kidnapping and pandering sexually oriented materials.