MYRTLE BEACH -- Horry County Schools has offered to pay $125,000 to settle a lawsuit filed last year by parents who accused a Socastee High School special education teacher of sexually assaulting their son.
The student's parents alleged that Rachel Gray, a former teacher and varsity volleyball coach, had groomed, sexually assaulted and harassed their son, identified as "John Doe," according to court records.
The son was 15-16 years old and a student in Gray's class at the time, according to court records. The parents, identified as "Mother and Father Doe," sued for gross negligence, negligent supervision and retention and Title IX violations.
The parents recently submitted a new court petition, asking for a judge to approve a $125,000 settlement that they reached with the school district.
"The parents understandably made a choice to settle now rather than put their child and their family through all the difficulties of a trial," said Joshua Slavin, the family's attorney. "Thankfully, we got the school's insurance company to make a reasonable, fair settlement offer that we could accept."
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Lisa Thomas, the school district's attorney, could not be reached for comment.
"The Defendant denies liability of any nature or kind and settlement does not constitute an admission of liability," the petition states.
Gray was identified in the initial lawsuit but she was not named as a defendant and has not been charged with any crime. Gray's attorney, Gene Connell, has denied all allegations against her. District officials have confirmed that Gray resigned April 18, 2023, after working for Horry County Schools since 2016.
The settlement agreement states that Horry County Schools will pay $125,000 through its insurer, while the parents will accept the amount and release the school district from any current or future litigation over the alleged events described in the lawsuit.
The complaint claimed that Gray gave John Doe preferential treatment by doing his homework, inflating his grades, letting him sleep in class and sending him personal messages through Snapchat, a social media app where personal messages permanently disappear unless saved by the sender or reader.
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Gray kept John Doe in class after other students were dismissed and sexually assaulted him, sent him sexually explicit messages and nude pictures on Snapchat and tracked his location on his phone, according to the complaint.
"John Doe was particularly vulnerable to inappropriate and abusive emotional manipulation and sexual assault by Ms. Gray," the lawsuit stated, adding he had psychological disorders and disabilities, which the petition then elaborated to mean Asperger's Syndrome.
On March 30, 2023, after John Doe's parents learned of the alleged misconduct, they sent a letter to district officials, informing them and requesting that they protect his privacy and identity.
But his parents alleged students found out through a district employee about John Doe and Gray during the district's investigation. John Doe received harassment from students around school, the lawsuit stated.
About two weeks after the letter was sent, John Doe was suspended, which his parents believe was retaliation against him for reporting the alleged misconduct, according to the lawsuit.
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The parents claim the school did not offer counseling or therapy services to John Doe, nor the virtual learning options that they requested for him, the lawsuit stated.
John Doe's parents had accused the state's third-largest school district of failing to properly respond to the alleged sexual misconduct once they learned about it; subjecting John Doe to a "hostile educational environment;" and retaliating against him and his parents.
They also accused the district of failing to properly train employees on how to respond to sexual misconduct cases, leading to emotional distress for John Doe and his family, the lawsuit stated.
"When school staff became aware of the allegations, Horry County Police was immediately notified, and school staff and the district office cooperated fully with law enforcement and their investigation," said Lisa Bourcier, a district spokeswoman, after the lawsuit was first filed.
Horry County Police closed their investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Gray after the victim's family declined to pursue criminal charges, according to police records.
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