Philadelphia schools sued over sex assault
A former Philadelphia Public School District teacher and principal are accused of being complicit in the sexual assault and exploitation of a minor, according to a civil lawsuit filed earlier this year in federal court.
The complaint claims that a 14-year-old female special education student was sexually assaulted by her teacher, Joshua Griffin, during the spring semester of 2022.
Griffin was charged and indicted on one count of sexual assault/battery and two counts of exploitation of a child back in December 2023.
According to the lawsuit, Griffin, who also served as the school’s softball coach, took the student to secluded areas of the school—such as athletic training rooms—and assaulted her while taking photos and videos of the sexual acts.
The lawsuit further alleges that the former high school principal, Steve Eiland, was informed of Griffin’s inappropriate behavior towards other students as early as the fall of 2021.
Reports from both teachers and students reportedly reached Eiland, yet he allegedly allowed Griffin to remain in his teaching and coaching positions without reporting the conduct to law enforcement, the school resource officer, or child protective services, according to the lawsuit.
Despite the Philadelphia Public School District’s alleged awareness of Griffin’s predatory behavior when he first arrived at the school, the complaint asserts that the school still permitted him to continue working with students.
The lawsuit claims that Griffin then engaged in a pattern of egregious misconduct, including exposing himself and photographing himself exposed with students in the frame before texting the images to other students.
He is also accused of soliciting sexual photos and favors from students, groping and fondling students, forcing students to perform oral sex, recording students naked while performing sex acts with him, and raping students during school hours on school property.
The lawsuit claims that had former Principal Eiland reported Griffin’s earlier misconduct, the teacher would not have had the opportunity to prey on students, including the student in this case.
The abuse eventually came to light when the Philadelphia Police Department intervened in April 2022. Officers entered the school, took Griffin into custody, and seized one of his phones.
Investigators discovered images and videos depicting one or more sexual assaults of the student on school grounds, as well as additional illicit content involving other students on Griffin’s phone.
Eiland faces charges for failing to report the known abuse as a school employee.
The family is seeking damages through a jury trial against the school for violating the student’s right to an educational environment free from sexual abuse.
They are requesting compensation for past, present, and future physical, psychological, and emotional pain and suffering, as well as loss of enjoyment of life; reimbursement for medical expenses related to physical, emotional, and mental health treatment; and punitive damages to deter similar conduct in the future.
The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 16, alleges that the school’s failure to supervise its employees demonstrates reckless disregard or deliberate indifference to students’ rights.
The case argues that former principal Steve Eiland and the Philadelphia Public School District acted with negligence to the student and the school district’s policy.
Philadelphia Public Schools terminated Griffin shortly after his arrest, while Eiland remained as the high school principal through March 2024.