FAIRBANKS — An Alaska school district is facing a lawsuit from a former student after an ex-tutor was convicted of forcing him into sex.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District had 15 days to respond to a Nov. 30 letter from the former student’s attorney before a civil lawsuit is filed, reported the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
The Board of Education is scheduled to evaluate options Monday.
Claude Fowlkes III maintained his innocence when he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for sexually abusing the student. He is appealing the conviction.
Mike Stepovich says his client’s abuse could have been avoided, but the district inadequately responded to a 2009 complaint.
He said the guardian of a Lathrop High School student made the complaint and no discipline followed.
“We take the position that Mr. Fowlkes’ inappropriate conduct with students and former students was foreseeable, the district was negligent and the district demonstrated reckless indifference to the safety of (a) minor,” the letter says.
The family in that case filed a civil lawsuit against the district, which settled the case for $920,000.
Fowlkes has been in custody since March 2014. He is scheduled to go to trial Dec. 19 in another sexual abuse case involving a minor at Hutchison High School.
