Student Sexually Assaulted During Field Trip

This case involves a male student who was sexually assaulted during a school field trip. On the date of the incident in question, the student was on a field trip with his class to view the process of apple cider production at a local orchard. At some point during the tour, the student was separated from the group by a male member of the orchard staff. The staff member then allegedly led the boy away from his class towards a secluded area of the orchard, at which point the employee forced the student to perform a number of sexual acts. The Plaintiff contended that the school did not do enough to ensure the safety of students who participated in the trip.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. What are the proper measures for a school to ensure the safety of its students during a field trip?

Expert Witness Response E-005208

When orchestrating a field trip, it is the school's responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure that the environment is safe for the students. In this case, it appears as though the school was negligent. The girl was grabbed and assaulted without any adult noticing the incident. In cases like this, adequate supervision and grouping of the students is recommended, if not required, for safety reasons. Due to the environment and the measures taken by the school, it appears that the school is partially to blame for the harm done to the schoolgirl. I am very experienced in cases like this, as I was a teacher and school administrator for over thirty-one years. Under my supervision, we never had any significant accidents nor were there any sexual assault claims.