LANCASTER, Pa. — The School District of Lancaster has reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by a former J.P. McCaskey High School student who was sexually abused by former teacher Christy Lee Smith in 2008, when the victim was a sophomore at the school.
The school district and the victim agreed to a settlement last Friday, according to court records. The lawsuit was scheduled to go on trial on Monday.
In addition to Smith and the School District of Lancaster, the lawsuit named former SDL superintendent Pedro Rivera as a defendant, court records show.
The plaintiff said in the lawsuit that the school district failed to adequately investigate concerns about the improper relationship between himself and Smith, who was originally convicted in 2012 of sexually abusing the plaintiff and another student between 2008 and 2010.
Smith's other victim was a student in the Solanco School District.
The plaintiff claimed in the lawsuit that the district's failure to properly investigate the relationship allowed it to continue, violating his right to a safe education under Title IX rules.
A SDL spokesperson told LNP the school board would have to approve the settlement.
"This is a matter handled entirely by the district’s insurance company," said Adam Aurand, director of strategic communications for SDL. "We can confirm that they advised us of a settlement to avoid continued time and expense of litigation. There is no expenditure of district funds. The school board is required to approve the settlement to bring resolution to the matter. We do not have further details on the settlement at this time."
Smith's original conviction was overturned, but she was re-tried two years later and convicted again, receiving a sentence of 14 to 30 years in prison.
That sentence was overturned when Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that sentences with mandatory minimums were unconstitutional, so in 2017 she received a new sentence of 14-28 years in prison at a hearing in Lancaster County Court.
In 2020, the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that Smith must register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.
She was freed on parole from SCI-Cambridge Springs in Crawford County earlier this month, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
