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Former Las Cruces high school student awarded $44 million in teacher sex abuse case

Posted on 3/20/24 at 9:11 pm
Posted by Tigerbait357
Member since Jun 2011
67992 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 9:11 pm




quote:

Back in 2017, a 15-year-old girl referred to as T.R. was a star student at Las Cruces High School who dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. All the while, she endured her agricultural science teacher Patrick Howard sexually grooming her — touching her hair, shoulders, lower back, upper thigh, buttocks and engaging in full frontal hugs.

He touched her in front of other students, sent her personal texts, and put his hand on her thigh while she was sleeping during an off-campus school trip for the school’s chapter of Future Farmers of America. Howard was the chapter’s adviser.


quote:

T.R. and several other girls who reported similar treatment by Howard were called “bitches” and “sluts” by other students and bullied. “Free Howard” signs were posted around school and written on sidewalks. Petitions to support him went up in classrooms, and a GoFundMe page for him was established.

The humiliation and shame got so bad that T.R.’s mother had to ask the school to let her daughter leave class without an explanation if the anxiety got too bad.

But T.R. last week got the vindication she was looking for when a federal court jury awarded her $44 million in damages — one of the largest amounts awarded in a civil rights case in the state. Jurors set compensatory damages at $11 million, and $33 million in punitive damages.


LINK

Posted by Koach K
Member since Nov 2016
4166 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 9:14 pm to
You owe tax on those punitives.
Posted by Kafka
I am the moral conscience of TD
Member since Jul 2007
143043 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 9:14 pm to
quote:


AI
Posted by Rebel
Graceland
Member since Jan 2005
131569 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 9:14 pm to
happy she won her case. but ,where is a school district in Las Cruces going to come up with that cash?
Posted by TJack
BR
Member since Dec 2018
1473 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 9:16 pm to

Posted by Bjorn Cyborg
Member since Sep 2016
27323 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 9:25 pm to
$44 mil and no rape or assault?

Seems too much.
Posted by Jimbeaux
Member since Sep 2003
20202 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 9:30 pm to
Look, this guy is a pedophile pervert and I have no sympathy for him.

And yet, from what was posted, his crimes weren’t as bad as many of these teachers. It doesn’t sound like he touched her crotch area or saw her naked or had sex with her, etc.

I just don’t understand the amount of this judgement. If the girl had gotten a couple hundred thousand, that seems more appropriate. But $44 million?

Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
55427 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 9:42 pm to
Nevermind, it is in the article.

quote:

Howard, who pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sexual contact and battery in 2021, resigned from the high school after 20 years. He still retains his teacher’s pension. At age 60, he is still on probation after being spared any prison time as punishment.

If he successfully completes probation, he can ask for his conviction to be expunged. There’s no requirement that he register as a sex offender, but state District Judge Doug Driggers did order him to attend sex offender treatment.


The article also says other suits against him and the school were settled out of court and the particulars haven't been released to the public. There's no telling how much all of this will cost them.

This post was edited on 3/20/24 at 9:48 pm
Posted by Spankum
Miss-sippi
Member since Jan 2007
56243 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 10:03 pm to
Your tax dollars at work…
Posted by Basura Blanco
Member since Dec 2011
8549 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 10:17 pm to
Just make the dude put on a chastity belt and cut her grass every Monday morning for the next twenty years and call it even.
Posted by molsusports
Member since Jul 2004
36175 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 11:26 pm to
Did the accused fondle her uncanny valley?
Posted by PotatoChip
Member since May 2014
3672 posts
Posted on 3/20/24 at 11:30 pm to
I was willing to get sexually abused in high school for pennies on the dollar compared to this.
Posted by Grigio
Member since May 2023
616 posts
Posted on 3/21/24 at 12:08 am to
This post was edited on 4/5/24 at 2:16 pm
Posted by McLemore
Member since Dec 2003
31635 posts
Posted on 3/21/24 at 12:43 am to
quote:

touching her hair, shoulders, lower back, upper thigh, buttocks and engaging in full frontal hugs


Journalism today. Use fewer words when it conveys the message better—“pulling a Biden” would have sufficed.
Posted by Fat and Happy
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2013
17140 posts
Posted on 3/21/24 at 1:42 am to
Numbers like that are comical because there has to be the actual ability to produce that level of money

That’s a feel good number and unfortunately that girl won’t see anywhere close to that
Posted by i am dan
NC
Member since Aug 2011
24981 posts
Posted on 3/21/24 at 5:32 am to
quote:

He touched her in front of other students, sent her personal texts, and put his hand on her thigh while she was sleeping during an off-campus school trip


$44M for that? Wtf?
This post was edited on 3/21/24 at 5:33 am
Posted by 0x15E
Outer Space
Member since Sep 2020
12894 posts
Posted on 3/21/24 at 7:06 am to
She looks fake
Posted by idlewatcher
County Jail
Member since Jan 2012
79634 posts
Posted on 3/21/24 at 8:17 am to
quote:

touching her hair, shoulders, lower back, upper thigh, buttocks and engaging in full frontal hugs.



44M seems pretty excessive for this. I'm convinced juries think it's Monopoly money that is a never ending supply.

Also, why aren't these mini-pedos personally held financially accountable?
Posted by Damone
FoCo
Member since Aug 2016
32966 posts
Posted on 3/21/24 at 8:23 am to
Lots of people ITT sticking up for a pedo. Sad!
Posted by ThatTahoeOverThere
Member since Nov 2021
3688 posts
Posted on 3/21/24 at 8:37 am to
Sounds like the other students thought they were full of shite. Believe all women gets another one.
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