I-TEAM: Civil Case facing Springboro Schools moves forward

SPRINGBORO — As Austin Hopkins sits in prison for sexually abusing his first grade Clearcreek Elementary School students, his victims’ parents and the school district are in a legal fight.

Angela Wallace, the attorney representing the families, filed a lawsuit in U.S. Federal District Court. “To see changes made in the district, make sure this never happens again, and to make sure that the girls receive the treatment that they need to recover in the best possible way,” Wallace said.

The lawsuit goes after Hopkins and the school district. It also names Clearcreek Elementary School’s principal, Carrie Corder, and the district’s former superintendent, Daniel Schroer.

The district asked the judge to dismiss claims against Corder and Schroer, saying they were redundant because they were representing the district, which is already named in the lawsuit.

In his order issued Thursday, the judge agreed, but said the redundancy was not enough to dismiss the names from the lawsuit.

“We ultimately respect the court’s decision,” Scott Marshall, District Communications Coordinator said in a statement.

In the order, the judge also said the families cannot go after the district for punitive damages.

“Punitive damages are intended to punish the other person, the other party, beyond just the damage that’s necessary to restore them,” Dr. Marc Clauson, professor of history and law at Cedarville University said.

He said from here there will be a trial before the U.S. Federal District Court.

Cox Media Group