On October 18, a Florida court dropped four of five felony charges after a lawsuit filed against a teacher charged with sexually abusing a teenage student was dropped due to a clause in the school’s enrollment contract.
First Academy / Video screenshot
Last November, MinistryWatch reported on the case of Harriet Sugg, a teacher at First Academy in Orlando, Florida. A former student claimed Sugg sexually abused her and that the school failed to report the crimes.
The student, now in her twenties and referred to as “Jane Doe” to protect her identity, came forward in 2022. Last year, she sued Sugg, First Academy, and First Baptist Church, which operates the school.
In the lawsuit, the student claimed the abuse began in 2014 after Sugg gave a talk at a student chapel on overcoming same-sex attraction and healing from sexual abuse.
The student, who was 15 at the time, sought help and mentoring from Sugg, then 47, who allegedly groomed the student, abused her on school grounds and elsewhere, provided her with alcohol, invited her to live with her and her husband, and took her on out-of-town trips.
The lawsuit said the school questioned Sugg about her behavior after receiving reports from teachers, students, and Sugg’s husband and threatened to fire her if she didn’t stop her behavior with the student.
In January, the school, the church, and Sugg filed motions to compel arbitration based on an enrollment contract signed by the plaintiff’s father. The contract contains an arbitration clause requiring parties to resolve disputes through Christian conciliation.
The clause states, “. . .any arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the Rules of Procedure for Christian Conciliation of the Institute for Christian Conciliation, a division of Peacemaker Ministries.”
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On May 2, 2024, the 9th Judicial Court of Orlando granted the motion, recognizing the arbitration agreement as valid and the student’s claims falling within its scope. The court processed the voluntary dismissal on July 31, 2024.
MinistryWatch contacted First Academy and First Baptist Church for comment. First Academy replied that they needed time to give a statement. We will provide an update when we receive one.
Harriet Sugg
Sugg was initially charged with five felonies for sexual abuse of a minor while acting as an authority figure at First Academy.
On October 18, 2024, The State of Florida dropped four of the five charges following the lawsuit settlement. For the remaining charge, the court ruled Suggs arbitrarily guilty under Nolo Contendere (she accepted punishment but did not admit to the charge).
The court sentenced Suggs to serve 18 months in the Orange County Corrections Facility for Sexual Activity with a 16 or 17-year Old Child (a second-degree felony) and state probation for up to 10 years following her release.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Why does MinistryWatch report on sex crimes? These stories are tough to read and sometimes even tougher to report, but we think they are vital to our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and credibility to the evangelical church. To read more about why and how we report these stories, read “Why MinistryWatch Reports On Sex Crimes.” You can find that story here.
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