Montgomery to pay $9.7 million to settle Damascus sex assault claims @mcps @mocoboe

Families of four former JV football players had alleged schools ignored looming threats before the teens were assaulted with broomsticks in locker room

The Montgomery County school system will pay out $9.7 million to settle lawsuits brought by the families of four former Damascus High School football players who said they were sexually assaulted by teammates wielding broomsticks in their locker room in 2018 and 2017, according to attorneys for the families.

“Damascus High School put a winning football culture ahead of everything,” said Timothy Maloney, a lawyer for one of the former players and his family. “Discipline, locker room supervision and student safety all went out the window.”

Most of the money was paid on behalf of victims who were attacked in the junior varsity locker room in 2018, according to their attorneys. Those attacks led to criminal cases against four of their teammates of rape and attempted rape under Maryland laws covering nonconsensual acts involving the use of an object...

https://wapo.st/453sYna