Utah School District Sued in Teacher Sexual Misconduct Case
Two former middle school students have sued the Ogden School District in Utah, claiming administrators failed to take action against a teacher accused of sexual misconduct.
The lawsuit filed this week alleges 31-year-old Mound Fort Junior High School teacher Drew Tutt had inappropriate conversations with and sexually abused multiple students between 2015 and 2016, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Despite receiving complaints about Tuff’s behavior, the district failed to properly investigate Tutt and was aware of his alleged misconduct with students, the lawsuit said. The two students are seeking at least $300,000 in damages, including damages for causing them emotional distress.
Tutt resigned from his teaching position in October 2016 after police said he was found with a 14-year-old student in a car at a park after hours. Tutt was also accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old student, authorities said.
An attorney who defended Tutt during his 2017 criminal case did not immediately return a message seeking comment Wednesday.
Tutt eventually pleaded guilty to two charges of third-degree felony sexual abuse of a minor student in 2018, and is currently serving up to five years in prison.
School district officials referred requests for comment to the state attorney general’s office, which defends state agencies in court. A spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.