Mother Says Music Teacher Molested Her Son

DETROIT (CN) - A music teacher at the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences regularly performed oral sex on a student and threatened to hurt him if he didn't keep quiet about the abuse, the boy's mother claims in Federal Court.

She claims teacher Terrell Marsh repeatedly touched her son's butt, made lewd remarks and forced oral sex on him, and threatened to physically harm him, fail him in music class or get the principal fired if he told anyone.

Marsh also lured her child to his house, the mother adds, by pretending to host a "school-related activity." When her son got there, no one else was there, she claims. Marsh "proceeded to put his hands down the pants of the minor child, and grabbed his own penis," the lawsuit states.

Marsh allegedly gave the boy his credit card to buy anything he wanted in exchange for the boy's silence. The plaintiff says Marsh began calling her son at home, sexually harassing him and reiterating the threats. She claims her son finally told her what had happened in February 2008.

She filed suit against Marsh, EdisonLearning, the academy and various school officials for constitutional rights violations, supervisory liability, assault and battery, false imprisonment, negligence, emotional distress and breach of statutory duties.

The boy and his mother are represented by Racine Miller of Robinson & Associates in Southfield, Mich.

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