Charlotte school released girl to man who sexually assaulted her, lawsuit says

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte school released a seventh-grade girl on two occasions to a man who took her to a house and sexually assaulted her, according to a new lawsuit. He returned her to school to finish the day each time, the lawsuit says.

The civil complaint is filed by the student and her mother. Channel 9 is not naming either in order to protect the girl's identity as a victim of sexual abuse.

According to the lawsuit, the girl was a seventh-grade student at Kipp Charlotte when the incidents happened near the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Kipp Charlotte is a charter school.

Attorneys for the plaintiff said that on March 26, 2014, a man named Demetrius Fetherson contacted the girl on Facebook. Fetherson told the girl she was cute and that he could help her launch a career in modeling, the lawsuit says.

Fetherson showed up at the school the next day and checked her out of school by claiming that he was her uncle and that he had to take her to a doctor appointment, the lawsuit said. Exhibits filed as part of the case show that Fetherson was not listed as a person authorized to remove the girl from school. There was not even an uncle listed as an authorized person.

The lawsuit claims that Fetherson took the girl to a brick house and had "unconsensual sexual contact" with her.

A similar incident happened three weeks later, the lawsuit said.

Fetherson is currently serving time in a state prison after pleading guilty to second degree rape of the girl in November 2015.

The lawsuit names the Board of Directors of Kipp Charlotte, Kipp Charlotte and the Kipp Foundation.

A representative for Kipp Charlotte declined to comment on the lawsuit Tuesday, but did respond to questions about the school's response.

Mark Chudzicki, the director of Finance of Operations for Kipp Charlotte, said the school conducted an internal review of policies and procedures after the incident. He said some procedures were changed.

Channel 9 asked if the school notified parents about the incidents in 2014.

"I don't recall," Chudzicki said.

A voicemail left with the Kipp Foundation offices in San Francisco was not returned.

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