Parents sue Lake Highland Prep, say son was bullied, sexually abused by fellow student

The parents of a former student at Lake Highland Preparatory filed a lawsuit last month, accusing the private school of failing to act after the boy was bullied, harassed and sexually abused by a fellow student “almost daily.”

The parents, identified by the pseudonyms John and Jane Doe, filed the lawsuit in Orange County Circuit Court on April 15.

Asked for a response to the lawsuit, the school provided the Orlando Sentinel a statement attributed to its president, Alfred G. Harms Jr.: “Unfortunately, we cannot comment on pending litigation. Our school’s No. 1 priority is safety. Our mission and values are based on love, concern and mutual respect for one another.”

In addition to the school, the parents of the boy the suit accuses of carrying out the abuse were named as defendants, though also by pseudonym: John and Jane Roe. The boy who was allegedly abused is identified as J.D., while his alleged abuser is called J.R.

The ages of the boys were not indicated in the suit.

“J.R. has repeatedly touched and fondled … J.D. in a sexually offensive manner on and about J.D.’s private parts, causing J.D. to suffer great mental and physical pain and suffering, distress, anxiety and unwanted harassment during the 2018 and 2019 school years, while both boys were attending the School,” the lawsuit said.

The suit, filed by Winter Park attorneys J. Cheney Mason and Patrick C. Crowell, accuses the school of failing to enforce zero-tolerance policies for bullying and sexual harassment found in its honor code and student handbook.

“Lake Highland has selectively and discriminatorily enforced this policy — always enforcing it in the case of a female student being sexually abused or harassed by a male, but failing and refusing to enforce it” to halt the abuse of J.D, the suit said.

According to the suit, the abuse began in early 2018. The Does “almost immediately” notified the school and the Roes, but they “have done nothing successful” to stop the misconduct, it said.

“Finally, in early 2019, the Does had no choice and demanded the expulsion of J.R. from the School, but Lake Highland failed and refused to expel J.R.,” leading to the Does removing their children from the school, according to their attorneys.

The suit seeks damages greater than $15,000.

Founded in 1970, Lake Highland Preparatory operates a 42-acre campus on Highland Avenue, just north of downtown Orlando.

The school faces a second lawsuit related to bullying, which was filed in June by the Morgan & Morgan firm on the behalf of a female student.

The suit claims the girl was subjected over the course of several years to vulgar, sexual and racial taunts and insults – including being called a “slut” and a “whore” – by a group of fellow students, who also pulled her hair in a “sexual manner,” touched her and threatened to hit her.

The suit accuses the school of negligence, among other claims. Lake Highland prep has denied the allegations against it in legal filings.