PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The parents of a former student in the Seneca Valley School District are suing the parents of five “mean girls” who they say conspired to falsely accuse their son of sexual assault.
The parents say their son was subjected to numerous court appearances and was harassed, even after the girls allegedly admitted their story was false.
The lawsuit also includes the school district in Butler County.
The Zelienople Pool, which is under construction, is where the teen girls alleged one of those sexual assaults took place, but according to the federal lawsuit, they later said they made the story up.
The suit claims that the couple's son, identified only as T.F., was terrorized by "mean girls" who: “conspired in person and via electronic communication devices to falsely accuse T.F. of sexual assault on two occasions.”
According to the 27-page criminal complaint, the girls accused T.F. of sexual assault at the Zelienople Pool where he worked and told a school counselor of another assault at a home.
As a result, T.F. was fired from his job at the pool and “forced to endure multiple court appearances, detention in a juvenile facility, detention at home, loss of his liberty, and other damages until several of the girls reluctantly admitted that their accusations were false.”
The teen's parents are suing the parents of the five girls, the school district and Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, saying their son was bullied on multiple occasions by classmates.
In one example, the lawsuit said students last year placed masking tape with the word "predator" written on it on his back without his knowledge.
The lawsuit alleges that school officials and Goldinger's office didn't take any action against the girls even after learning their accusations were false.