Can I sue my college for not doing a backround check on a teacher?

Question

I just did some poking around and found out that a former teacher from my college (just quit a few weeks ago) has an interesting past. He did not use his real name to teach, he is a former attorney who has been disbarred for being dishonest, and he is formerly convicted of having s*x with a 16 year old girl. To top it off, he taught criminal justice classes (which is my current major). Can the school be held accountable for this?

Answer 1

Did he rape you or did he merely teach class? You need to look at why he was there. He was there to teach you and if he did not look at you lewdly, make you uncomfortable or hit on your mom, you should let him live his life. OMG he had s*x with a girl? How many people has she had s*x with? Weren't you there just to learn law from him? WTH would you sue? On what grounds? Did he touch you?

Answer 2

You can sue anyone for any reason.

Why would they owe you anything?

Answer 3

I'm not sure but the 'predator' aspect I think warrants some type of notification to the students for their safety.  I don't know if you can sue the school unless you were affected personally (and can prove it, remember this is America - land of the free)!!!

Answer 4

dont be such an a.ss...everyone screws up.

if he's gone now why are you pissed off?

Answer 5

If you had been harmed by their negligent hiring, then you might have a suit.  You didn't mention any damage so I guess you have no grounds to sue.

Answer 6

I don't know...how were you damaged?  I mean, yeah, you can sue any one for anything...but to get anywhere you have to show that you were damaged, and the school failed in it's duty.

Were you involved sexually with the teacher, as a minor?  Did being disbarred include having a lobotomy, and somehow impair his knowledge of Criminal Justice, such that he could not teach properly?  Did his using an alias somehow impede your ability to learn?

Or are you just pi..ed off and flailing around for someone to sue?

Answer 7

i would try

Answer 8

Not unless he did something to you. If not, I think you are just grubbing for money. Tuition is already high enough. Don't increase it further by frivolous lawsuits.  

Answer 9

Why sue?  Were you harmed in any way by his presence at the school - or are you just hoping to cash in?  Let it go.  His background check may have passed muster.  Some people are very skillful at faking their credentials.  As for your ability to sue, you'd have to prove:

1) that the college was legally required to check the instructor's background.  What is the law in your state?  (Remember, colleges are often governed by many different laws than K-12 public schools.)

2) that they failed to do the background check, or ignored negative results of such a check.

3) that you were harmed as a result of their failure to meet any such requirements.

Answer 10

idk probably

Answer 11

"Can I sue..."

You have no standing.

What damages are you trying to recover?

"Can the school be held accountable for this?"

I think they have been held accountable. I suspect this very embarrassing fact was discovered by the press. If it wasn't you should call a reporter at local paper and have them do a story about it. If the school is smart they will do more thorough background checks in the future.

Answer 12

I dont know, but I would sure like to know! Cause I have just had 2 really horrible professors  the past 2 terms and it sucks!

Answer 13

I'm not seeing any reason that YOU could sue them.

The professor could be in trouble, and it will be embarassing for the school. But that is about it.

Answer 14

Unless he was teaching you something that was wrong, probably not.  You sound simplistic and naive.  Are you sure that criminal justice is any type of field in which you should involve yourself?

fs

Answer 15

Not unless he committed a crime against any of the students, in this case, you.

You have no damages.  Without damages, you have no case.

Answer 16

You had nothing done wrong to you by this professor, no you can't sue. But he may get into trouble.

Answer 17

i doubt it

Answer 18

Why are Americans only happy when they are suing each other?!

Did it effect your grades? I hate the culture of people trying to make a quick buck off each other & not accepting liability for themselves1

Answer 19

I seriously doubt background checks are required by law, and that any checks are done solely at the institutions discretion. If he does anything on their campus, then the school could be held liable, but off campus I believe its all on him.

Answer 20

A typical lawsuit filed in civil court is intended to "make one whole." In some cases, punitive damages are allowed, such as in a case where an organization knowingly allows a wrong to continue.

In this case, you would have to have suffered some loss. It might be argued that because of this individual's lack of qualification, you did not receive the quality of education for which you paid. If you wanted to proceed on this theory, then there would be many in the same situation, which would suggest a class action law suit.

There are two ways to proceed. First, you could try and find a lawyer who would take it for a percentage of the settlement, and I suspect it would have to be a very desperate attorney. Second, you could pay the attorney to file an action. In this case, if you failed, you might be liable for the defendant's legal fees as well as your own lawyer's fees.

My advice would be to consign this event to the realm of humorous stories you tell your kids in the future and forget about a half baked lawsuit.

Answer 21

hmm i wonder how you found out he was weird ... like what caused you to look for a background check?

Answer 22

sure?

answer

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 23

Yes.