Our Dallas team at the Aldous \ Walker recently achieved an important courtroom victory in a sexual abuse case involving the Episcopal School of Dallas. Not only was this victory important, but the resulting verdict was listed in Texas Lawyer newspaper as the second-highest verdict for a case involving negligence in the state of Texas during the year 2011.
This case—John Doe, Jane Doe and Jane Doe II v. The Episcopal School of Dallas Inc. (No. CC_10-03251 –A, Dallas County Court at Law No. 1)—made headlines throughout the city of Dallas and received a high amount of publicity. It involved a 16 year-old student who was expelled from the private high school she attended after an inappropriate relationship between her and her history teacher, Nathan C., was found out by school officials.
Our team at the Aldous \ Walker argued that the expulsion was wrongful, as the child—referred to in court proceedings as “Jane Doe II”—should not be held accountable for her sexual abuse by a teacher. The trial was held for nine weeks and heard by a jury consisting of nine people—all women. Our trial lawyers showed how Mr. Campbell, who was 34 at the time of the abuse, manipulated the student, beginning with after-class tutoring.
After police found the teacher in a compromising position with the minor, school officials promised not to punish the student or hold her accountable in any way, while Mr. Campbell was allowed to resign. Then, the school seemed to change its position. Administrators met with the student’s father and said he could either pull his child out of school or she would meet with permanent expulsion.
The case received significant media attention and was also an object of interest for other attorneys. Attorneys Charla Aldous and Brent Walker of the Aldous \ Walker handled the case on the side of the family. The opposing legal team contained a state senator in Texas as well as an AmLaw100 law firm. In spite of these challenges, the jury sided with Jane Doe II and her family, and awarded a recovery that included an $8.6 million compensation package as well as $700,000 in punitive damages. The verdict was the 21st largest in the state for 2011.
Learn more about this case and how our team at the Aldous \ Walker can fight for your rights: Call our Dallas office now.