The plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, allege that Parham used his position of authority to groom and sexually exploit them over an extended period. Jane Doe 1 reportedly endured at least 50 sexual assaults on school property between May and November 2023.

Perhaps most egregious is the claim that school officials were aware that Parham—an adult security guard—actually accompanied Jane Doe 1 to the school prom, an overt red flag that seemingly went unaddressed by administration.

Jane Doe 2 described a similar pattern of grooming that involved inappropriate “play fighting” used as a pretext for unwanted touching and sexualized comments regarding her body.

The lawsuit asserts that these were not isolated incidents. It references a third student from a related legal action (Civil Action No. 24CV067742) who was also allegedly molested by Parham on campus during the fall of 2023.

Central to the lawsuit is the accusation that the Emery Unified School District fostered an environment of “willful blindness.” The complaint alleges that teachers, coaches, and even a principal observed blatant warning signs as early as the start of the 2022-2023 school year.

Attorney Robert Allard, representing the plaintiffs, emphasized that the school district bears a fundamental responsibility for the safety of its students. “School should be a safe place for students to learn and grow—not where trusted adults exploit vulnerable minors,” Allard stated. He argued that the district’s failure to act on clear warning signs “irreparably harmed multiple young women.”

The lawsuit seeks to hold the district accountable for its failure to implement proper oversight and for ignoring the safety protocols designed to prevent exactly this type of predatory behavior. By seeking civil damages, the plaintiffs aim to highlight the catastrophic consequences of institutional silence and ensure that such a breakdown in student protection never recurs within the district.

The survivor, identified in legal filings as Jane Doe, was a fifteen-year-old freshman during the 2002–2003 school year when she was targeted by her teacher, Shawn Thomas. The lawsuit detailed a calculated process of grooming that led to numerous sexual assaults, many of which occurred on school grounds.

According to the complaint, Thomas utilized his position of authority to isolate the student, frequently assaulting her in his portable classroom and a storage room located within the boys’ locker room. The abuse eventually resulted in Doe becoming pregnant at age 15. The lawsuit further alleges that Thomas pressured and forced the minor to undergo an abortion in the spring of 2003.

Central to the $5.75 million settlement is the disturbing allegation that the school’s administration was aware of the inappropriate relationship but failed to intervene. The lawsuit highlights a specific incident where Thomas’s wife, Sarah Thomas, who served as the Dean of Leigh High School at the time, allegedly discovered the victim alone with her husband in his classroom. The pair had reportedly stopped their sexual encounter abruptly as they saw her approaching.

Even more distressing are the claims regarding Jane Doe’s attempts to seek help. After becoming pregnant, Doe allegedly disclosed to Sarah Thomas that Shawn Thomas had been having sexual intercourse with her. Rather than fulfilling her duty as a mandatory reporter and school administrator, Sarah Thomas allegedly responded by blaming the victim. The lawsuit claims the Dean asked the young student how she “could do this to her” after everything she had done for the student.

Following this confrontation, the abuse did not stop. Shawn Thomas reportedly continued to sexually assault the victim on school property, including the aforementioned storage room incidents.

The abuse remained hidden for years until the survivor’s sister urged her to come forward to law enforcement. Shawn Thomas was finally arrested last year following a formal disclosure of the rapes.

In a statement regarding the settlement, the survivor’s sister noted that while financial compensation cannot undo the trauma, it represents a vital step toward accountability. “This settlement is one more step toward my sister reclaiming her life after the immense harm she endured,” she stated. She expressed hope that this legal resolution ensures no other student is “ignored or unprotected in the way she was.”

The size of the settlement reflects the severity of the institutional failures at Leigh High School. By failing to investigate clear red flags and allegedly allowing a high-ranking administrator to silence a victim, the district left a minor in a position of extreme vulnerability.

The resolution of this case underscores the ongoing legal shift toward holding educational institutions responsible for historical abuse, particularly when administrative negligence allowed predators to operate with impunity.