Seattle Public Schools admitted in King County Superior Court that it was negligent for failing to remove a teacher who allegedly assaulted a 13-year-old student more than seven years ago, disrupting trial proceedings as the court determines what evidence can now be presented.
“They just made this huge concession: ‘We’re liable,'” Judge O’Donnell told plaintiff’s attorney Lara Hruska.
The district’s admission came shortly before opening statements were scheduled to begin, throwing the day’s proceedings into disarray. The court paused to determine what evidence would now be admissible with the sudden shift.
The courtroom, packed with observers anticipating the trial’s start, quickly emptied, with only one family remaining to watch proceedings unfold.
“It’s frustrating,” said Cheryl Kilodavis, who attended the hearing. “It’s frustrating that opening arguments didn’t happen today. It feels like a strategy.”
Kilodavis sued the district nine years ago after her then-10-year-old child was assaulted at school. She was also represented by Hruska, who helped her reach a settlement. “No amount of settlement, no amount of justice can take away what happened to our children at the hands of other adults,” Kilodavis said.
Hruska had prepared a detailed opening statement outlining what she described as a decade-long pattern of aggressive and predatory teacher behavior. However, any evidence not directly related to the student in this case, such as inappropriate touching or interactions with other staff, is now off the table.
“I thought I was making a meal today,” Hruska said. “All the ingredients are chopped up. Everything’s ready to go. I just have to rearrange the plate a little bit.”
Instead of opening statements, the judge and attorneys spent hours in deliberation. The central question: how much liability is the district actually admitting to?
“We are not admitting or agreeing that we are responsible for this intentional act, which was outside the scope of his employment,” SPS’ attorney said in court.
Seattle Public Schools declined to comment. By 5 p.m., the hearing that began at 9 a.m. was still in progress.
According to court documents, the incident occurred in January 2018 at Meany Middle School. The teacher allegedly confronted 13-year-old Zakaria Sheikhibrahim over a backpack policy violation, pressed his forehead against the student’s, used racial slurs, and punched him twice in the face. Witnesses say the teacher slammed the boy’s head on a table, dragged him across it, and forced him into the hallway.
Sheikhibrahim, now 21, claims he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and long-term traumatic brain injury. The lawsuit alleges the district had been warned about the teacher’s behavior years before the attack.
The admission of negligence while disputing responsibility for the intentional act creates a legal distinction affecting what damages the district may ultimately be liable for and what evidence can be presented to the jury.
