LYNDEN, WA (KGMI.com) – A former Lynden High School student has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the district after a teacher allegedly spread a false rumor about her.
Court documents filed Wednesday with the US District Court of Western Washington accuse teacher and golf coach Julie Clift of creating an unsafe learning environment and disrupting the victim’s education.
The victim claims that Clift violated her Title IX rights and the district’s sexual harassment policies by creating and spreading a false sexual rumor about her.
That rumor spread to dozens of students and staff members in late March.
The victim told her mother about the incident on March 29th, who reported the incident to a school counselor later that day.
On March 30th, a faculty member confirmed to the mother that Clift was the source of the rumor.
That same day, Clift pulled the victim out of class, admitted her mistake, and asked her not to take any further action.
Clift also called her mother and admitted spreading the rumors, but did not acknowledge correcting her mistake.
Clift and Lynden HS principal Ian Freeman are also named in the lawsuit.
After making several attempts to contact the school’s dean in the following days, the mother was eventually connected to Freeman.
Freeman also confirmed that Clift began the rumor and said that the district’s human resources department would be handling the incident.
The mother and victim allege that they didn’t hear from any school officials beyond that conversation, and that Clift was never punished for her actions.
A spokesperson for the Lynden School District said in a statement that they’re “surprised and disappointed” by the lawsuit and that Clift was “appropriately counseled” following the incident.