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Hearings Scheduled for SEIA Sex Abuse Lawsuits

The court is being asked to decide whether a sex abuse lawsuit filed against the Keokuk School District in early 2013 should continue.

The lawsuit was filed in South Lee County by a former Keokuk student identified only as Jane Doe II.

It names not only the district, but also former Keokuk High School Principal Michelle Lukavsky and former teacher/coach Gina Sisk as defendants.

Jane Doe II claims that Sisk sexually abused her for two years, starting in 2009, and that the district and Lukavsky were made aware of the abuse.

The district and Lukavsky filed a motion on Tuesday, March 11, to be dismissed from the lawsuit.  The motion claims the statute of limitations against them expired prior to the filing.

District Court Judge Mary Ann Brown ordered a hearing on the request be held Monday, April 14 in Keokuk.

The lawsuit is scheduled for trial in mid-September.

HENRY COUNTY LAWSUIT

This hearing in South Lee County comes as the Iowa Supreme Court has agreed to consider a similar lawsuit filed in early 2012 in Henry County.

A woman identified as Jane Doe is suing the New London School District and Gina Sisk.  She also says she was sexually abused by Sisk while Sisk was working for the district and Doe was a student.

A district court judge denied a request, made last year, by Sisk and the school district to have the lawsuit dismissed over the statute of limitations expiring.

The Iowa Supreme Court is being asked to weigh in on that decision.

Oral arguments are scheduled for Wednesday, April 2.

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.