Lawsuit filed against Beaufort County School District and former teacher over alleged student teacher relationship

by Aaron Dixon, Christa Ross

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - A lawsuit filed under the name “John Doe” accuses Beaufort County School District and Victoria Montgomery of failing to prevent an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student at Hilton Head Island High School.

Victoria Montgomery is a teacher in the Visual and Performing Arts Department

Because the plaintiff is listed as John Doe, the student’s identity is not publicly known. The complaint appears to be filed on behalf of the student and his family.

SEE: Hilton Head Island High School teacher arrested, charged with sexual battery of a student

What the lawsuit alleges

The lawsuit claims the student was groomed during his high school years by Montgomery, described as a School District employee, and that the alleged relationship escalated over time.

The suit also alleges that multiple parents reported concerns to the district about the suspected inappropriate behavior involving Montgomery and students, but the district failed to intervene.

Claims against the district and teacher

The lawsuit asserts multiple legal claims, including:

14th Amendment (Equal Protection)
Title IX violations, including allegations of intentional discrimination and deliberate indifference
Intentional infliction of emotional distress (and “outrage”)
Gross negligence
Alleged violations of the South Carolina Tort Claims Act
Negligence per se
Alleged violations of the Safe Schools Act of 1990
Attorney’s fees

Impact alleged by the plaintiff

According to the complaint, the student experienced severe emotional distress and sought counseling and therapy. The lawsuit claims the alleged effects disrupted the student’s education, including an interruption to college plans.