Minor's claims denied
PITTSBURGH — A former Seneca Valley School District JROTC instructor accused by a student of sexual molestation has denied the accusations.
The response was to a federal lawsuit that a student filed against Kevin B. Johnson, 51, of Portersville in January.
Prior to the federal civil court lawsuit being filed, Jackson Township police in February 2008 filed multiple criminal charges against Johnson, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, corruption of minors, indecent exposure, making terroristic threats, intimidation of a witness and stalking.
Johnson was removed and barred from the school campus at that time and dismissed by the district in September.
He is awaiting trial in Butler County Court.
The federal suit, filed by "John Doe," a Cranberry Township resident, alleged that from October 2006 to January 2008 Johnson repeatedly touched and fondled him in an "unwanted sexual manner" while the student was a 15-year-old minor student.
The Butler Eagle does not identify victims of sexual abuse.
The suit, filed in January, includes four counts — an alleged violation of the student's 14th Amendment guarantee to equal protection under the law against both Johnson and the school district, and counts of assault and battery against Johnson.
In his response, Johnson denied touching the student in a sexual or otherwise inappropriate manner.
Johnson also denied that police discovered Johnson had sexually abused the student and at least one other student for several years, and that police found evidence of the alleged abuse at the high school.
"It is denied that any 'evidence' was found, as none ever existed," according to the response.
The student also accused Johnson of creating a hostile educational environment; discriminating against the student because of his gender; and depriving the student of his due process right to bodily integrity, according to court documents. Johnson denied all of those allegations in his response to the suit.
The suit alleged that Seneca Valley had "actual knowledge" of Johnson's actions and thereby maintained "a policy of deliberate or reckless indifference" to the alleged molestation. The district has until mid-April to file its response to the student's lawsuit.
Matt Hoffman, school board solicitor, said he had not seen Johnson's answer to the lawsuit and could not comment.
The suit seeks an undetermined amount of money for battery and assault from Johnson, and other money damages from both Johnson and the district for the student's pain, suffering, emotional distress and humiliation.
