(WWJ) -- A lawsuit filed against two local school districts claims a vision specialist hired to help visually impaired students sexually abused them.
The lawsuit alleges James Baird fondled two eight-year-old students while working at Douglas Elementary School in Garden City.
No criminal charges have been filed as of yet, though Garden City police are investigating. The federal civil lawsuit alleges the man fondled and sexually abused the girls in 2018 and 2019. The allegations were reported to police in 2018, but charges were declined.
Baird was a vision mobility specialist employed by Livonia Public Schools and was on contract to provide services at Garden City public schools at the time of the alleged incidents.
He is no longer employed by Garden City Public Schools, but has continued to work for Livonia Public Schools. Attorney Parker Stinar says the two districts failed to protect vulnerable female students. Stinar says by keeping him employed, they potentially exposed other students to abuse.
“They allowed a sexual predator to have unfettered access to this vulnerable group,” Stinar said during a press conference Monday. “They failed to supervise him, they failed to understand and appreciate the examinations he was doing. They allowed him to have one-on-one access with these girls in a room in the library with the door shut.”
Livonia Public Schools says in a statement “The employee who is named in the allegations is currently on administrative leave and has been on leave for several months.”
The district says there will be no further comment while they await the results of the police investigation.
One of the girls’ mothers, Donica Petty, says Baird took her daughter inside a room and abused her.
“He closed the door, blindfolded her and asked her, ‘does she know the difference between a hot dog and sausage?’ She felt very uncomfortable, felt something on her mouth, she took the blindfold off and saw him pulling up his pants,” she said Monday.
The other girl’s mother says something has to be done.
“I want him to go to jail. That’s what should have happened,” Gabrielle Washington said. “He needs to be held accountable, Livonia Public Schools need to be held accountable, the Garden City Police Department needs to be held accountable for how slow they’re moving. I just want accountability.”
The law firms representing the girls’ families say they believe there may be other victims.
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