Katy ISD Sued By Former Student For Mental Anguish

KATY, TX -- A 20-year old woman is suing Katy ISD for mental anguish, resulting from an alleged sexual relationship she had with her art teacher when she was a student at Katy High School.

According to court documents, the woman who is identified as Jane Doe, was approached by Katy High School art teacher Robert Milton when she was a 14-year old freshman.

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The woman alleges that Milton, 42, made overt sexual advances to her during her freshman, sophomore and junior years at Katy High School, and sent her sexual text messages that included photos of his penis.

Doe said in court documents that she and Milton began a sexual relationship during her senior year, when Milton ask the teen to schedule her senior photos to be taken by him at the Houston Sculpture Garden.

She agreed and met Milton there.

It was during the photo session that it began to rain and the pair went to his car where they allegedly began kissing and touching one another.

According to court documents, the two began meeting after school on Thursdays, when Milton would allegedly book cheap hotel rooms for sex.

During one encounter, Doe said they were having sex in his car in Brookshire when police intervened.

The woman told investigators she told the officer she was of legal age and able to consent, and he told them to leave the area.

The woman graduated in June 2015, and left for college out of state, and according to court documents, became traumatized when she realized she’d been manipulated by Milton, and told her parents.

The parents reported the incident to Katy ISD, and then began t learn more about Milton’s past with other female students that dated back as least 10 years.

Katy ISD reported the incident to police and in July 2016, Milton was arrested and charged with improper relationship with a student.

In November 2016, Milton plead guilty and was placed on probation for four years.
The lawsuit alleges that Katy ISD knew about Milton’s behavior, and took steps to hide it, and to protect the teacher, to the point of transferring him to another school.

Besides Katy ISD, the lawsuit also names Former Katy ISD Superintendent Alton Frailey and current Katy ISD Superintendent Lance Hindt, Katy High School principal Rick Hull and former Mayde Creek High School principal Obra “O.D.” Thompkins, Jr. in the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the victim says she has undergone counseling and psychotherapy as a result of this relationship and now experiences severe anxiety, emotional distress, nightmares and other "physical symptoms" of trauma, according to the complaint.

Image: Harris County Sheriff's Office

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