Parents sue Yough schools, say teacher abused son who killed self

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Before Jordan Bryan took his own life last fall, his parents say he was sexually abused for years by one of his teachers.

They’ve accused the Yough School District, where their son had attended since kindergarten, of doing nothing to prevent the “psychological damage” caused by the abuse even after it was reported to them, according to a lawsuit that moved to U.S. District Court this week. The complaint originally was filed in April in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court.

“Appropriate Yough School District officials with the authority to take corrective measures had actual notice of the abuse and hostile education environment and responded with deliberate indifference,” the lawsuit says.

Jordan’s parents, Amy Tamasy and John J. Bryan, are suing the district for damages and legal fees. They said former Yough teacher Michelle Costain had sex with Jordan more than 100 times since he was 14. She was his eighth-grade reading teacher at Yough Intermediate Middle School.

The lawsuit alleges that district officials, including the principal of Yough Intermediate, were aware of allegations against Ms. Costain and “disciplined the students who made such allegations but took no action” against the teacher.

“At no time prior to Jordan Bryan’s suicide did school district officials investigate the allegations against Costain regarding sexual behavior with students,” the suit states. “As a result, Costain’s sexual abuse of Jordan Bryan continued unabated until July 2017, when Costain was reported to the authorities.”

Jordan committed suicide in November, when he was 19.

Ms. Costain has not been charged with a crime and is not listed as a defendant in the suit. She could not be reached for comment Thursday.

School district attorney Jaime Doherty said she could not comment on pending litigation. Ms. Costain has not been employed by the school district since before the 2017-18 school year, she said.