Victims who were sexually abused by a former Olentangy teacher filed a lawsuit against him along with the elementary school, the school district and key officials saying school officials knew or should have known about the abuse.
The lawsuit was filed this afternoon in Delaware County Common Pleas Court on behalf of three victims.
Rausenberg was convicted in January of 34 counts of Gross Sexual Imposition for molesting nine children at Arrowhead Elementary. He was also convicted of kidnapping and pandering sexually oriented matter and was sentenced to a total of 106 years in prison.
The lawsuit spells how the abuse played out in the school for years when principals and other school officials should have known.
One victim was assaulted every week for four years while Rausenberg made recordings of the abuse. Another was abused for two years, the lawsuit claims.
Rauseneberg would even get one of the young victims out of class as she moved on to different grade levels in the school so he could still fondle her. That girl noticed a red light on the camera blinking and later found and took the camera.
His abuse of students wasn’t discovered at that time, though, because Rausenberg said the girl stole his camera and went to her home to get it back.
One of the parents complained to the district and was told by then-principal Nadine Ross that Rausenberg was a “good teacher.”
Randy Wright, Chief of Adminstrative Services for Olentangy schools, says at no time did any parent report criminal activity.
"These behaviors were hidden despite the safeguards we have in place,” Wright said. “He (Rausenberg) betrayed us all. Ultimately he's 100 percent responsible for these crimes.”
The attorney representing three of the victims and their families, Emmanuel Olawale said the school gave Rausenberg the benefit of the doubt and didn't believe the kids.
The lawsuit claims the school district was negligent in supervising Rausenberg.
“He was a lion and they allowed him to roam and he devoured his victims ,” Olawale said. “They gave him a safe haven to prey on those children.”
The families have named former Olentangy Superintendent Wade Lucas, current superintendent Mark Raiff, Rausenberg, Ross, and current Arrowhead Elementary School Principal Luke Carlisle III.
The plaintiffs are asking for more than $25,000 in punitive damages, attorney fees, and “any other further relief that this court may deem proper.”
In a face-to-face interview at the Delaware County jail, Rausenberg told 10TV the reason he refused to take a plea deal for 20-years to life is because he says he didn't commit half the crimes he was convicted of by a jury.
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