This is the first time the appeals court has ruled on a question like this. The case comes from Alpena County, where a parent accused the Alpena Public School District of failing to protect a girl from sexual harassment by another student.
The girl eventually transferred to a private school. The unanimous ruling from a three-judge appeals court panel reversed a finding by the lower court and, instead, held that schools can be held liable for allowing a
“hostile education environment.”
But, on a separate question, the appeals court did uphold a ruling that dismissed the case on other grounds. The decision can be appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.
