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	Greensburg Central Catholic Asks for Dismissal of Lawsuit By Richard Gazarik Pittsburgh Tribune-Review December 4, 2009 http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_656187.html Attorneys for Greensburg Central Catholic High School want a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a former student who alleges the school refused to allow her to graduate after she complained that a teacher was sexually harassing her. In August, Caitlin Russo of Belle Vernon sued the school and the Diocese of Greensburg for violating her civil rights under Title IX, which bars any form of discrimination on the basis of gender in educational programs that receive federal funding. Russo was a 14-year-old freshman at the school in 2004. In the lawsuit, she alleges that German teacher Douglas Mills, who was then 54, pinned her against a locker, asked her personal questions "of a sexual nature" and conducted "stalking-like behavior," according to the suit filed by Pittsburgh attorneys Helen Kotler and David Weiner. Mills did not return a phone call seeking comment Thursday. He is still teaching at the school, according to the school's Web site. In the lawsuit, Russo said Mills asked her when her parents would allow her to date and what qualities she was looking for in a man. After she reported Mills to school officials, she began to have problems with her courses, which threatened her scheduled graduation in 2008, she said. In 2006, Russo was a student in a German language class that Mills taught. She claims that Mills "lurked" in places where she happened to be. She also alleges in the lawsuit that Mills sent her a note telling her "how much he missed her smiling face each day." Russo was treated for several medical problems during her sophomore and junior years and missed numerous days of school. In 2007, her parents met with school officials to make sure she had enough credits to graduate and were assured she could graduate in May 2008, according to the lawsuit. However, Russo later was informed she lacked enough credits to graduate and was advised to leave Central Catholic and enroll in another school, the lawsuit states. Russo subsequently quit. Russo complained about Mills to a school guidance counselor, who asked her if "she was trying to ruin Mills' career," according to the lawsuit. In a motion to dismiss, filed Tuesday, attorneys for the diocese and school said guidance counselors "are not appropriate officials" to complain to about a teacher's behavior. They said Mills' behavior was not a "sexual proposition." "While Mills' alleged act of grabbing her by her shoulders and pinning her against a locker may be improper behavior, if true, it is not inherently sexual in nature or clearly motivated by gender," attorneys Michael Levin, Allison Petersen and Amy Guerin of Huntingdon Valley wrote in support of their motion to dismiss. Attorneys for the school are asking U.S. District Court Judge Gary Lancaster to dismiss the case, arguing the school does not receive federal money and therefore is not covered by Title IX. They also argue that the school cannot be sued because the school and diocese are not separate entities. Since church sex-abuse scandals surfaced over the past decade, the Catholic Church has taken steps to protect students. The Greensburg Diocese recently announced it was in compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which is now required of all dioceses in the United States. The charter was started by the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops and is designed to end secrecy, remove abusers and protect children from future abuse.
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