The family of Jacob Pothier, an 18-year-old high school student who was killed in a car crash involving a former school employee, has filed a $10 million wrongful death suit against the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical School District. The lawsuit alleges that Pothier was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with Kathleen Martins, a former employee of the school, starting when he was 15 and she was 42. The lawsuit also claims that the school administration was aware of the relationship but took no action.
Martins, who survived the crash with serious injuries, allegedly groomed, sexually abused, stalked, and sexually harassed Pothier throughout their relationship. The lawsuit also alleges that the school treated Pothier as a perpetrator when a sex video involving Martins was discovered, failing to provide him with support or services for victims of sexual harassment or abuse.
The school district has denied the allegations and stated that Martins had not been employed by the school for nearly a year at the time of the fatal crash. Pothier’s family is advocating for a change in the law to protect teenagers who are abused by people in positions of authority or trust.
Source
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image of the presented article.
