Des Moines schools settle lawsuit over misconduct of late arts teacher, ex-wife for $250,000
A former student who alleged she was sexually groomed by two Des Moines teachers will receive a six-figure settlement from Des Moines Public Schools, according to court filings.
The ex-student, identified in court only as Jane Doe, sued the district in October 2021, two months after district officials placed teachers Kristopher Rollins and Emily Lang on leave over allegations of inappropriate conduct with her.
Rollins, who had taught at Harding Middle School and as an adjunct professor at Drake University, died by suicide Aug. 20, 2021, one day after he was suspended. Lang, who previously had been married to Rollins, resigned six days later.
The lawsuit was formally dismissed Tuesday under a settlement agreement paying the ex-student $250,000 to resolve the case, according to documents viewed by the Register. Of the payment, $166,325 will go to her and the remainder to her attorneys.
Rollins 'groomed' 17-year-old student
As alleged in court filings, Rollins met the then-teenaged plaintiff through a spoken word poetry group and "immediately began grooming her" with praise and mentorship. In 2019, her senior year, she said, Rollins told her he loved her and began a months-long sexual relationship. She was 17 at the time.
Previously:Des Moines teacher Kristopher Rollins was placed on administrative leave a day before his death
It continued even after the student graduated in 2020, according to court filings. The student, who had spent time in foster care, said she feared she would be forced out of her home if the relationship was discovered.
Lang found out, allegedly failed to report
Lang eventually found out about Rollins' sexual misconduct, the ex-student said in the court documents, but failed to report it as required by law. Instead, she said, Lang formed her own "inappropriate non-sexual relationship" with the student, asking her for advice about romance and other inappropriate topics.
Both Rollins and Lang lacked professional boundaries, she said in the documents, describing both separately breaking down crying in front of her and telling her about their personal lives in inappropriate detail.
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Grief and shock in community
The death at age 39 of Rollins, a popular educator and founder of the RunDSM urban arts and leadership program within the district, was met by an outpouring of grief and tributes from former students, followed by shock and confusion as reports of the allegations against him emerged.
Movement 515, the spoken word poetry program affiliated with RunDSM, urged members to support the student.
"We know this is a heavy cloud to be under. We know this is hard to hold," group leaders said an August 2021 statement. "We know that this is hard to process but it is necessary for us to honor our own morals and stand on our statement of standing with survivors."
What happened in court?
The lawsuit accused the district of negligence in hiring and supervising Rollins and Lang, in particular alleging the district should have known Rollins had previously had a relationship with, and subsequently married, a student while teaching in Florida in 2010, before he married Lang.
Court records show the district had filed a motion to dismiss the student's claims, which the district court had mostly denied in August 2022.
Tuesday's settlement also resolves claims against Lang. The plaintiff had previously dismissed the Rollins estate from the case.
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What they're saying
Attorneys for the student did not respond to a message seeking comment on the settlement. Schools spokesman Phil Roeder confirmed the settlement via email and noted that the district's insurer is making the payment. Under the terms of the settlement, the district is not admitting wrongdoing.
RunDSM shuttered
Roeder confirmed that the RunDSM arts organization founded by Rollins and Lang no longer exists within the district.
Movement 515, which won international accolades for its members' poetry before Rollins' death, has severed ties with the district and changed its name to SAY, according to statements on its Facebook page.
This article has been corrected to note a district judge largely denied a motion by the district to dismiss the lawsuit.
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines Public Schools teacher sex abuse suit settled for $250,000
