Student Sues over Sexual Battery at a Wichita High School

A student who was sexually battered in the bathroom of a Wichita high school is suing the principal and school board for negligence.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the suit filed in Sedgwick County District Court cites unsafe security practices at Wichita East High School, where the student was assaulted in September. The Eagle and The Associated don’t normally name victims of sex crimes.

Twenty-nine-year-old Guy Harris is awaiting sentencing for sexual battery after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor last month. Police have said Harris groped an 18-year-old female student after entering the school and following her into the restroom while classes were in session.

District spokeswoman Wendy Johnson said in an email that the district is “committed to the safety of all Wichita Public Schools students and staff.”