An unnamed Seattle woman has filed a lawsuit in Kitsap County Superior Court against the Bainbridge Island School District over alleged sexual abuse by two teachers almost 40 years ago.
The suit was filed Dec. 12 by the Seattle-based law firm Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala.
The woman, listed as A.L. in the suit, wants to keep her name private due to mental anguish and severe emotional distress that she suffered, the lawsuit says.
“The Bainbridge Island School District was recently made aware of the lawsuit. The district recognizes that the allegations in the lawsuit touch upon sensitive subjects. At this time, we are unable to offer any further comment or speak to the specific allegations. The district remains committed to providing a safe and positive educational experience for all students,” a statement from the district says.
Neither of the teachers who allegedly committed the crimes were immediately available for comment.
The lawsuit also alleges neglect and other damages by the district, which employed two teachers in 1986-87 who were alleged to be sexual predators. The plaintiff is asking for a jury trial and appropriate relief from the court.
“The plaintiff in this case suffered incalculable harm after these teachers intentionally targeted her, hindered her educational opportunities and grossly abused her,” said Kevin Hastings, a partner at the law firm. “The Bainbridge School District administrators and educators neglected the fact that (they) were pervasive pedophiles who preyed upon younger female students, and that is offensive and unacceptable. They (the district) must be held accountable for their lack of action.”
Hastings said in a phone interview Dec. 17 that the two teachers were not the only ones involved. Witnesses have told him there was a “highly toxic culture at play in the ’80s and ’90s” when men would make inappropriate comments and more to girls. “Folks say it was rampant, not a one-off thing.” He added the administration knew about it, but did nothing. “They may be in high school, but they’re still children” being used by men 10-20 years older, Hastings said.
Witnesses include school district employees, former educators, students and parents.
As to why it took so long for the victim to file a lawsuit, Hastings said: “It takes a lot of courage to come forward with these types of claims. It’s hard to confront painful memories from your past.”
He said most victims try not to think about it, and don’t even understand how it affects them until long after the abuse. That’s why laws say victims are not required to bring claims until they discover that they’ve been harmed.
Hastings said now that A.L. has come forward other victims might, too. He has no doubt there are other victims as witnesses have said there are.
The BISD is hurting financially, but Hastings said school districts have known for decades that these things have happened, and most buy insurance to protect themselves from such suits.
The lawsuit claims the school district knew or should have known that the risk of sexual abuse of students was significant, and measures should have been taken to protect students.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that the district allowed the two men to have continuous and unfettered access to a young female student, using their position of power and influence as educators to groom and ultimately sexually abuse and exploit the student as a minor.
One suspect, Steve Hohl, was a science teacher and wrestling coach for Bainbridge High School who worked closely with the other and socialized with him off campus. The other, Roger Miller, was a history teacher and coach at BHS. Miller spent 40 years as a statistician for the girls basketball team at BHS before recently retiring from that post.
The lawsuit says the student had attendance issues in a class, so Miller told her to come to his office. He took off his shirt and asked for a back massage. Miller told her and she saw that he was sexually aroused, the lawsuit says.
Hohl flirted with the victim and provided alcohol to her and her friends, the suit says. The sexual abuse started with hugs, which led to kissing and then sexual intercourse, the suit alleges.
“The district’s administrators and personnel allowed Hohl and Miller to foster a toxic and misogynistic culture of abuse,” the suit says.
The suit continues to say the district is liable for allowing the pairs’ “outrageous conduct…that went beyond all possible bounds of decency and can only be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community…”
Before coming to BHS, Miller was a history teacher and basketball coach at Monroe High School, where he allegedly sexually abused a student in 1979. That complaint says the 16-year-old student missed class and was told by Miller to pass she would need to have sex with him. She dropped out of school later that year.
While that suit wasn’t filed until 2023, Hastings said Miller used “the same schtick” there as he did later at BISD.
Hohl, who graduated from BHS in 1960, is credited with starting the Island Invitational at BHS in 1985, one of the longest-running high school wrestling tournaments in the area.
