Community Corner

Mother of Teen Allegedly Sexually Assaulted by Special Ed Teacher Sues City

Former Middletown High School teacher Christine Powell, who pleaded not guilty to the charges she had sex with a now 17-year-old student, has been unable to make bail. The lawsuit seeks compensation for school officials' negligence.

The mother of a teen with with whom a former high school special education teacher had a sexual relationship is suing the city for school leaders' negligence, according to the Hartford Courant.

The mother and the son, 16 at the time of the inappropriate relationship, named only in the suit as "John and Jane Doe," filed against the city on Tuesday. They are seeking damages for school officials' negligence in its handling of former Christine Powell, 39, and for failing to report suspected abuse to police, the Courant reports.

She pleaded not guilty on Feb. 22 to second-degree sexual assault of a minor and was given a $150,000 bail. She is due back in court July 17.

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At least a year before police arrested Powell on charges she had sex with one of her teenage students, other teachers and paraprofessionals in the district had significant concerns about .

Those concerns and suspicions were strong enough that one paraprofessional quit over what she felt was an inappropriate relationship between Powell and the boy, who at the time was in middle school, and another raised concerns about the situation, at least twice, with an administrator.

Find out what's happening in Middletownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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