UNCSA | The University of North Carolina School of the Arts settles lawsuit alleging decades of sexual abuse

NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) – The University of North Carolina School of the Arts has settled a lawsuit with dozens of alumni who accused former officials of allowing faculty to sexually abuse, harass and exploit students through advertising.

The school was ordered to pay approximately $12 million over four years. The UNC System will cover $10 million of the settlement money.

According to a recent lawsuit dating from the 1960s to the 2010s, students as young as 12 tell horror stories during their time at boarding school on the Winston Salem campus.

Survivors described sexual abuse, off-campus sexual violence by teachers and a “willful blind eye” from administration. As these students grew older and eventually realized they were being exploited, the statute of limitations applied until the Safe Child Act was passed. The law stipulates that anyone who was sexually abused as a child can file a lawsuit within two years.

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ABC11 spoke with Raleigh attorney Bobby Jenkins of Lanier Law Group, which is representing the 65 victims.

“It restored hope to victims of childhood sexual abuse who saw their chance for justice and accountability and failed,” Jenkins said.

After two years, a settlement was reached for $12.5 million. Both UNCSA and UNC Systems issued statements on the settlement.

UNCSA Chancellor Brian Cole stated:

“While this resolution cannot heal the wounds of the past, I sincerely hope that it will make the survivors who have come forward feel our commitment to listen to them, recognize them and do what is right for them. This has undoubtedly been a dark time for UNCSA. As we grapple with the reports of sexual abuse, we recognize the courage it took for these alumni to share their experiences. It has always been our intention to do everything we can to reconcile with the past in a way that is consistent with our values. and with compassion and empathy for survivors, I am personally devastated that anyone on this campus has experienced abuse and am committed to doing everything we can to continually strengthen an environment of safety and trust at UNCSA .”

UNC System President Peter Hans stated:

“Protecting the safety and well-being of our students is the University’s primary responsibility. Any violation of that trust is painful, even more so when victims have to wait decades for recognition and some measure of justice. I admire the courage and determination of the survivors in the search.” I am grateful to Chancellor Cole and his team for approaching this difficult chapter with compassion and integrity. The UNC School of the Arts is a wonderful institution that does a tremendous amount of good for our state, and the obligation to recognize and deliver this “Rendering amends for past failings is exactly what we should expect from our public institutions.”

“The only way to curb and curb child sexual abuse is to hold perpetrators and the institutions that support them accountable. Because if you hold the institutions, the child welfare agencies, accountable, then they’re going to start doing that.” “They’re going to have better policies and procedures that increase their awareness of what to look for and what the warning signs are,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins said the employees named in the lawsuit no longer work or are no longer associated with the school and many have died.

An external allocator will decide on the distribution of the funds among the surviving dependents. The victims will receive the first payments at the beginning of September.