Family of boy who said he was sexually assaulted by Roland-Story wrestler sues the district

Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Des Moines Register
·3 min read

The parents of a boy who reported that he was sexually assaulted by a Roland-Story High School wrestling champion have filed a lawsuit, accusing school officials of taking a "boys will be boys" attitude toward the attack and failing to assure the student's safety.

The suit further claims that the alleged perpetrator, Kade Blume, got preferential treatment because he was a state champion wrestler.

The lawsuit says Roland-Story brushed off the alleged January 2022 attack as a "minor hazing" or bullying incident. According to court filings, Superintendent Matt Patton referred to alleged constant bullying as "locker room horseplay."

The Story County Sheriff's Office was first notified of the incident in April 2022 and charges were filed against Blume in November 2022.

The family submitted a civil rights complaint to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission on Dec. 20, 2022. The commission issued a 60-day right-to-sue letter on June 30.

What does the family allege in its lawsuit against Roland-Story?

The family of the boy who reported being assaulted is suing the district over its actions after the incident was reported. According to court filings, the district did not separate the boy from Blume or offer mental health services in the aftermath.

The lawsuit says the district forced the boy to do a "walk of shame" by having to go to all 18 of his teachers to explain his situation in hopes of then completing all his classes online. School officials said they were under a "gag order" and could not let all the teachers know themselves, but the Story County sheriff's office said in the lawsuit that a "gag order" was not in place.

Blume's original punishment was "a 20% suspension" from the wrestling team for a good conduct violation, though four days before the civil rights complaint was filed, the district announced Blume would not be competing for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year.

In the lawsuit, the parents say their son ultimately changed school districts because the school didn't protect him and docked him credits for classes he could not finish online but for which he had done 95% of the work.

The family is seeking a trial by jury to rule on the following counts:

  • Sexual discrimination.

  • Retaliation.

  • Negligence.

  • Negligent training and supervision of employees.

  • Loss of consortium for both parents.

Officials from the school district were not immediately available for comment.

Were Kade Blume or other alleged perpetrators criminally charged?

The boy who reported he was attacked said he was sexually assaulted by two classmates in January 2022 and named one of them as Blume, then 16.

Blume, a two-time state wrestling champion for Roland-Story, was charged Nov. 3 in Story County District Court with felony assault in the case. Another unidentified teenager was charged in juvenile court.

Blume was originally charged as an adult. Under an agreement with prosecutors, the case was moved to juvenile court, where he was expected to enter a plea. Records from juvenile court are not open to the public.

Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter at @NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Parents of Roland-Story student sue district over alleged sexual assault