Two women settle lawsuit about sex assault by ex-cop with Lansing schools, city

Lansing, several Lansing school district officials and a former police officer convicted of sexually assaulting several students have settled two lawsuits filed by those students.

The two students, who are now adults, received a total of nearly $120,000, according to agreements released by the city.

The settlements stem from lawsuits that said the Lansing School District did not properly investigate the girls' reports of sexual assault by police officer Matthew Priebe, who was stationed inside a Lansing high school.

The students said Priebe repeatedly sexually assaulted them on Eastern High School grounds and in his patrol vehicle. A third student also reported Priebe had sexually assaulted her but did not file a lawsuit.

Priebe pleaded no contest to second-degree criminal sexual conduct, attempted fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, misconduct in office and two counts of assault and battery and was sentenced in 2019 to one year in jail and five years probation.

Settling with the city, Lansing schools officials

The two young women settled for $75,000 and $43,000, respectively.

The settlements were finalized in August and were released through a public records request in April.

With the two settlements, both lawsuits that were filed in federal court in 2019 and 2020 will be dismissed.

More on Priebe's case:

• 'You were sworn to serve and protect': Ex-LPD officer sentenced for sex assault of 3 girls

• Lawsuit: Lansing School District never contacted victim in sex assault investigation

• Second lawsuit says Lansing School District failed to stop cop's sex assault of students

The district and its top officials, including former Superintendent Yvonne Caamal Canul, former Deputy Superintendent Mark Coscarella, former Eastern High School Principal Donna Pohl, teacher Kimberly Petroff and staff member Mary Carlisle, were named in the lawsuit. Former superintendent Sam Sinicropi — who was named superintendent after Priebe resigned — also was named in the lawsuit.

From the lawsuit

The young women said in the lawsuit that the district did not speak to them while conducting an internal investigation into Priebe. A copy of the school's investigation obtained by the State Journal is too heavily redacted to confirm if either woman was interviewed.

"They have Title IX in place for situations like this, and they failed to (utilize it)," one of the women told the State Journal in 2019 when her lawsuit was filed. "It seems like they just don’t get it, they don’t get it needs to stop."

Several teachers questioned the amount of time students spent in Priebe's office — which was known as the "hang out" spot — and told administrators of their concerns, according to the lawsuit.

The young women said Priebe sexually assaulted them in his office and his patrol car.

The youngest victim connected to the charges was 14 and the oldest was 17 at the time of the sexual assault, Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Angela Hunt testified at a hearing that led to criminal charges. The assaults took place during a three-year period.

Priebe touched one of the the student's inner legs, stuck his fingers into a hole in her pants to touch her bare leg and asked her to kiss him as she got out of his patrol vehicle when he gave her a ride home, according to court records. When she tried to push him off, he grabbed her hand and pulled it toward his crotch.

He also sent her a photo of himself sitting on the couch in boxers and a shirt with his erect penis exposed, Hunt testified.

Priebe will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Police sexual assault lawsuit settled with Lansing schools, city