TONAWANDA, (N.Y.) — The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District announced Wednesday the settlement of 35 child sexual abuse lawsuits, made possible by the Child Victims Act.
This act allows victims of child sexual abuse to seek justice through the court system once they become adults.
According to the district, all of the lawsuits made involved Arthur Werner, whose employment with the school ended 30 years ago.
Due to insurance policies, the district is solely responsible for covering the cost of the trials.
According to the statement, because of costs, Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Schools decided to resolve the cases before getting to trial, and agreed to settle the cases.
The district said it plans to obtain bond financing to fund the settlement in order to spread costs and minimize the impact on programming for current students.
In the statement, Superintendent Sabatino Cimato said "The District acknowledges that the misconduct alleged against Werner in these lawsuits is reprehensible-both now and back then."
