VALPARAISO — A lawsuit claims that Portage Township Schools failed to protect a female student from sexual abuse by an assistant diving coach.
The schools did not have proper procedures in place to protect students and failed to investigate when concerns were raised about the coach in question — 20-year-old Jatwone London, who faces several criminal charges in connection with the allegations.
"The bullying and sexual harassment are terrible problems I feel they need to go overboard to address," said attorney Bob Harper, who filed the suit on behalf of the student and her family.
Portage Township Schools attorney Ken Elwood denied the accusations, saying the school system terminated London's employment immediately upon learning about the allegations.
"The most important thing at PHS (Portage High School) is to protect our students," he said.
London is accused of entering into inappropriate and sexual relationships with female members of the high school swim team during the 2017 and 2018 school years, according to the civil suit.
London is charged with two felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and three counts of possessing child pornography. The charges include accusations he swapped sexually explicit photos with two girls using their cellphones and had sexual contact with both, including as many as 50 sexual encounters with one girl beginning when she was 14, according to charging information.
The father of one girl claims the schools superintendent and an athletic director at the high school were tipped off to questionable behavior five months before the young man was arrested.
"Got no response from him on either of these issues," the father has said.
The man's wife also shared the information later with a member of the Portage Township School Board, he said.
The lawsuit claims the school district was negligent both in failing to respond to concerns about London and in hiring him.
"Defendant's (schools) failure to take appropriate actions to prevent, stop or remedy this harassment amounts to deliberate indifference," according to the lawsuit.
London is scheduled to appear in court next on Feb. 19 and has a trial scheduled for March 11, according to court records.
CHRISTOPHER LEE KNIGHT

Arrest date: Thu Feb 14 2019 13:40:40 GMT-0600
Age : 32
Residence : VALPARAISO, IN
Booking Number : 1900717
Charges : 6 FEL DOMESTIC BATTERY,6 F
JOSELYNN FAITH HENDERSON

Arrest date: Thu Feb 14 2019 02:30:30 GMT-0600
Age : 20
Residence: PORTAGE, IN
Booking Number : 1900711
Charges : 6 FEL POSSESSION LEGEND DR
KEVIN MICHAEL CONGER

Arrest date: Thu Feb 14 2019 01:30:30 GMT-0600
Age : 27
Residence: VALPARAISO, IN
Booking Number : 1900710
Charges : 6 FEL POSSESSION METHAMPHE
MATTHEW RYAN MUDRICH

Arrest date: Thu Feb 14 2019 13:38:38 GMT-0600
Age : 29
Residence: VALPARAISO, IN
Booking Number : 1900716
Charges : FEL POSSESSION HYPODERMIC
MICHAEL ALEXANDER SMOLIOS

Arrest date: Thu Feb 14 2019 22:10:10 GMT-0600
Age : 19
Residence : KOUTS, IN
Booking Number : 1900728
Charges : 5 FEL DRUGS/DEALING COCAINE
SCOTT CHRISTOPHER BOND

Arrest date: Thu Feb 14 2019 14:42:42 GMT-0600
Age : 38
Resideence: GRANGER, IN
Booking Number : 1900720
Charges : 5 FEL DEALING MJ/HASH/SALV
CHRISTOPHER JOHN RICKARD

Arrest date: Wed Feb 13 2019 11:45:45 GMT-0600
Age : 53
Residence: HEBRON, IN
Booking Number : 1900692
Charges : FEL STRANGULATION, 6 FEL
CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM YORK

Arrest date: Wed Feb 13 2019 19:50:50 GMT-0600
Age : 33
Residence : CHESTERTON, IN
Booking Number : 1900707
Charges : 6 FEL POSSESSION COCAINE O
DAVID ANDREW PURSER

Arrest date: Wed Feb 13 2019 08:22:22 GMT-0600
Age : 32
Residence: HOBART, IN
Booking Number : 1900688
Charges : A MIS MV/OWI, ENDANGERS A
JENNIFER LYNNE HIGGINS

Arrest date: Wed Feb 13 2019 19:00:00 GMT-0600
Age : 38
Residence : GRANGER, IN
Booking Number : 1900705
Charges : 6 FEL POSSESSION CONTROLLE
KEVIN THEODORE WILKERSON

Arrest date: Wed Feb 13 2019 19:30:30 GMT-0600
Age : 24
Residence: MERRILLVILLE, IN
Booking Number : 1900706
Charges : A MIS MV/OWI, ENDANGERS A
ANDREW MALEKREUBEN SANNER

Arrest date: Mon Feb 11 2019 22:30:30 GMT-0600
Age : 18
Residence: ELKHART, IN
Booking Number : 1900680
Charges : 6 FEL AUTO THEFT,6 FEL
DINA CALABRESE

Arrest date: Mon Feb 11 2019 18:30:30 GMT-0600
Age : 34
Residence: VALPARAISO, IN
Booking Number : 1900674
Charges : 6 FEL DOMESTIC BATTERY,6 F
JOHN KEVIN HOLLOWAY

Arrest date: Tue Feb 12 2019 02:14:14 GMT-0600
Age : 52
Residence : CHESTERTON, IN
Booking Number : 1900682
Charges : A MIS MV/OWI, ENDANGERS A
KRISTIJAN DIMITRIOVSKI

Arrest date: Mon Feb 11 2019 03:01:01 GMT-0600
Age : 27
Residence: PORTAGE, IN
Booking Number : 1900664
Charges : 6 FEL STRANGULATION, 6 FEL
THANH THUY THI NGUYEN

Arrest date: Mon Feb 11 2019 18:23:23 GMT-0600
Age : 46
Residence : PORTAGE, IN
Booking Number : 1900673
Charges : FEL NEGLECT OF A DEPENDA
ALEXIS KAY HOLDER

Arrest date: Sat Feb 09 2019 02:53:53 GMT-0600
Age : 28
Residence: VALPARAISO, IN
Booking Number : 1900637
Charges : MIS MV/OWI, C MIS
CARL WILLIAM MILLER

Arrest date: Sun Feb 10 2019 21:29:29 GMT-0600
Age : 56
Residence: VALPARAISO, IN
Booking Number : 1900661
Charges : A MIS DOMESTIC BATTERY,A M
CORY MICHAEL MOORE

Arrest date: Sat Feb 09 2019 01:30:30 GMT-0600
Age : 22
Residence : VALPARAISO, IN
Booking Number : 1900636
Charges : A MIS MV/OWI, ENDANGERS A
DAKOTA JENNINGS PAPKA

Arrest date: Sat Feb 09 2019 03:53:53 GMT-0600
Age : 23
Location : HOBART, IN
Booking Number : 1900640
Charges : A MIS MV/OWI/BAC .15% /CON
FALLON ANN COLEMAN

Arrest date: Sat Feb 09 2019 23:15:15 GMT-0600
Age : 37
Residence: CHESTERTON, IN
Booking Number : 1900648
Charges : A MIS MV/OWI/BAC .15% /CON
GILBERT DWAYNE SCHUITEMA

Arrest date: Sun Feb 10 2019 13:11:11 GMT-0600
Age : 38
Residence: VALPARAISO, IN
Booking Number : 1900656
Charges : A MIS BATTERY,A MIS
HEATHER LEAH MCCOY

Arrest date: Sat Feb 09 2019 22:23:23 GMT-0600
Age : 38
Location : MICHIGAN CITY, IN
Booking Number : 1900647
Charges : A MIS MV/OWI, ENDANGERS A
IAN MATTHEW WOZNIAK

Arrest date: Sat Feb 09 2019 07:35:35 GMT-0600
Age : 27
Residence : VALPARAISO, IN
Booking Number : 1900643
Charges : A MIS DOMESTIC BATTERY,A M