Ronald Paul Harris: Teacher convicted of molesting teen kept list of 'Top 10' most attractive students
NEW CUMBERLAND, WEST VIRGINIA: A new lawsuit says that a former teacher in West Virginia who was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl also kept a list of the "Top 10" most attractive middle school students and was repeatedly caught masturbating on the school campus. Ronald Paul Harris worked as a history teacher and basketball coach at Oak Glen Middle School in New Cumberland in the decade prior to his sexual abuse conviction, according to the civil lawsuit. It is alleged that school officials "turned a blind eye" to Harris' perverse behavior during this time.
The 63-year-old is currently serving a 10-to-20-year term after admitting in September to molesting a high school freshman in 2010 who was working as a classroom helper after school. The now-27-year-old survivor is suing the Hancock County, West Virginia Board of Education and David Smith, who was then the middle school's principal but has since been promoted to the position of high school principal. According to the victim, school administrators did not shield her from the teacher.
READ MORE
Who is Ronald Paul Harris?
Ronald Paul Harris, now 63, admitted in criminal court to abusing a 14-year-old student during his time as a history teacher and basketball coach at Oak Glen Middle School in Hancock County. The survivor, now 27 years old and known as EH in court records, filed a civil lawsuit against Harris, the school board, and former middle school principal David Smith, who has since been promoted to high school principal, alleging that they failed to ensure the safety of her.
'Parent’s worst nightmare'
According to her attorneys, there may be more victims. They also expressed optimism that EH's "courage" might encourage additional survivors to come forward. "This case is a parent’s worst nightmare," said attorney Mary Pat Statler in a statement. "To learn that your child was groomed and sexually abused by a teacher is beyond awful. It’s made even more terrible knowing that the administrator at the time of the abuse was in a position to stop the abuse or prevent future instances of abuse and instead turned a blind eye."
What did EH claim in the complaint?
According to the complaint, Harris started "grooming" the girl, identified as EH in court filings, when she was a student in his 8th-grade history class. Later, when she graduated from high school, Harris invited her to serve as his after-school assistant.
Shortly after she started working for Harris, the 14-year-old girl claims Harris "began to express his romantic love and sexual feelings" for her. Harris allegedly claimed he was saving money so they could elope when she reached 18 years old. "Shortly after (she) began visiting defendant Harris on OGMS property during her ninth-grade year Harris began sexually abusing her," the 19-page complaint reads. "Defendant Harris would take (her) into the storage closet of the media room, which was connected to his regular classroom by an interior door, and request that (she) remove her shirt and proceeded to remove his own shirt."
What did David Smith do?
Harris is accused of abusing the young girl sexually on at least ten occasions. The complaint claims that Smith, when performing standard inspections at the conclusion of the school day, discovered Harris and EH in at least one locked classroom. Smith chose to leave without attempting to open the locked door. Harris allegedly ran after his employer while pulling his victim along and "nervously" engaged Smith in a quick conversation. "Harris was profusely sweating, visibly and audibly nervous and outwardly anxious, yet defendant Smith did not address either the locked door situation … or his extremely odd, guilty behavior," the complaint reads, as per New York Post.
'Kept Top 10 List of most alluring students'
According to witnesses questioned by EH's attorneys, it was "common knowledge" that Harris had engaged in many acts of masturbation on school property and had compiled a "Top 10 List" of the most alluring middle school students. The school is charged with "facilitating" EH's abuse despite the aberrant behavior by failing to closely monitor Harris. Harris' marriage to a former student, according to the lawsuit, "should have put them on notice of his character and moral turpitude."