Rochester School District Named in Sex-Related Lawsuit
Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - A lawsuit has been filed against a former Rochester School District employee who was charged with having sex with one of her students.
The lawsuit has been filed in behalf of the student and seeks damages from the district and Jody Nelson. She was charged in 2014 with one count of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct but was acquitted by an Olmsted County jury the following year.
The criminal complaint against Nelson indicated the incident occurred in 2009 at a Rochester home during a party. Police were told Nelson and the 16 year old student went into a bedroom for about an hour and had sex. Nelson - who was 34 years-old at the time - resigned from her job as a district paraprofessional in 2013, about a month after the alleged incident was reported.
The lawsuit says Nelson was the student’s teacher at the Golden Hill Learning Center. It says Nelson had also sent him sexually explicit messages.
The district is accused of allowing her to continue working even though it was aware of the relationship Nelson had with the student.
The personal injury lawsuit says the student has suffered severe psychological and emotional damage.