WENTZVILLE, Mo. — A lawsuit filed last week accused leaders in the Wentzville School District of negligence that, the lawsuit alleges, led to a student with autism being raped twice in less than two years.
According to the lawsuit, the teenage student identified as "Mary Doe" was raped twice during school hours. The first happened when a student drove her off campus during lunch in September of 2020 and the second happened in a women's bathroom at another Wentzville school in January of 2022.
According to the lawsuit, Mary's legal guardian told administrators that Mary needed to be supervised at all times because she "does not understand or appreciate social rules, risks and dangers" due to her disabilities.
The lawsuit said teachers and leaders did not notice Mary was absent after lunch on the day of the first rape. After Mary's guardian reported her missing to police, Mary was found at a home two miles away from the school with her shirt on inside out and alcohol on her breath. An exam the next day at St. Louis Children’s Hospital confirmed she was sexually assaulted.
The lawsuit said Mary's guardian homeschooled Mary for the next few months because the student accused of raping Mary was still at the school.
The next year, she enrolled at a different Wentzville district school.
The lawsuit claims she was raped in the girls’ restroom at the second school by an older student, who also had autism, in January of 2022.
According to the lawsuit, the school claimed the second incident was consensual, but the lawsuit says Mary was unable to consent due to her disability.
The lawsuit said Mary was suspended for 10 days due to the incident, which school leaders said was a "violation of the Student Code of Conduct."
The lawsuit claims Wentzville School District was made aware of her autism diagnosis and of the fact that she could not go unsupervised.
5 On Your Side reached out to the Wentzville School District for comment and on Thursday morning received the following statement from Chief Communications Officer Brynne Cramer: "The Wentzville School District cares deeply about the safety and well-being of its students. Because of the litigation referenced, we are unable to comment further."
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court and is seeking millions of dollars in damages from the district.
The full lawsuit can be read below: