Judge awards $461,682 to man who was raped by Slidell school janitor
A state judge has awarded nearly $462,000 to a man who was raped by a school janitor in St. Tammany Parish when he was a special education fourth grader.
After presiding over a civil suit trial in May, Judge Raymond Childress this week ruled that Justin Bleker, now 22, was entitled to $350,000 for mental and physical pain, anguish and suffering; $91,682.71 for past medical expenses; and $20,000 for future medical care. The judge also awarded $25,000 to each of Bleker's parents, Terry Bleker Sr. and Rebecca Hickman.
"This court acknowledges the complexities of running a school system as large as that of St. Tammany," Childress wrote. "However, that is not an excuse for the (St. Tammany Parish School Board) to shield itself from its responsibility for the safety of students attending St. Tammany schools. To the contrary, such a complex system demands appropriate policies and procedures that must be effective and followed unerringly. To this end, an in this matter, the STPSB failed."
When Hickman told her son about the judge's decision on Friday, he let out "a sigh of relief that you could hear a mile away," she said. "Tears coming down his face. Knowing that it can't be denied. They (school officials) have to admit what they've done."
Read more: https://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2018/09/judge_awards_461682_in_case_of.html