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Student’s Mom Alleges Outrageous|Sexual Come-Ons by School Principal

NEWARK, N.J. (CN) - A mother claims her son's high school principal, "in an outrageous attempt to obtain sexual favors," told her, "if you let me suck your breasts, then I will make sure [your son] is not accused of doing anything wrong and I will help him if he gets into trouble." She claims Clifton H.S. principal Jimmie Warren also exposed himself to her in his office and told her to "just touch it."

The mother, Dawn Colombo, claims those lewd suggestions were just part of "a continuing pattern of extremely inappropriate, unwelcome, harassing and sexually suggestive communications" from Warren. She claims that Warren refused to lift her son's disciplinary suspension after she spurned his sexual advances.

Colombo sued the Clifton School District, its Board of Education, and Warren, in Federal Court, alleging "multiple counts of lewdness." (45)

Colombo says the problems with began started in 2008, when her son was a freshman. After the boy was suspended, she says, she met with Warren at school and he said he "would do whatever he can to help," and the next day agreed to withdraw her son's suspension.

Soon after this, Colombo says, Warren crossed the line and began calling her to ask her to bring him food or coffee to his office. When she refused, Colombo says, he told her "not call me the next time your son gets in trouble." She says Warren also Colombo also says that Warren "routinely asked her to go to dinner with him," which she refused repeatedly.

The mother says Warren's harassment got progressively worse, and that he told her "you owe me" because no one else wanted to promote her son to a sophomore.

The complaint refers to her son as B.C.

It states: Warren deliberately changed some of B.C.'s grades which he earned in classes as the high school in order to misleadingly demonstrate that B.C. had successfully completed his freshman academic requirements, in an outrageous attempt to obtain sexual favors from plaintiff."

Warren's advances then became "overtly suggestive," she says. She said to protect her son from school discipline, she "should perform a sexual act upon him. Specifically, Warren stated to plaintiff that 'if you [plaintiff] let me suck your breasts, then I will make sure B.C. is not accused of doing anything wrong and I will help him if he gets into trouble,' or words to that effect." (Brackets in complaint.)

She claims that "members of the Board of Education, administrators within the district and other agents and employees of defendants were aware of Warren's activities and took no action in response thereto despite their legal duty to do so."

Colombo adds that "on several occasions," including on or about May 1, 2010, Warren "exposed his penis to plaintiff during meetings with her in Warren's office at the high school. Warren held those meetings with plaintiff to purportedly discuss discipline of her son and his academic performance. On occasions where he exposed his penis to plaintiff, Warren would make lewd and overtly sexual comments to plaintiff, such as 'see how big it is' and 'just touch it,' or words to that effect. Plaintiff refused those advances."

At a June 28, 2010 meeting in his office, Colombo says, Warren approached her from behind and fondled her breasts. She says the crude gesture, which she rebuffed, left her unable to sleep.

The next day, she says, she told Warren she was going to report the incident to police. She says Warren told her that if she did, it would leave her son with no one to protect him.

Two days later, on July 1, Colombo said, "Warren gave plaintiff a $1,000 Louis Vuitton purse worth approximately $1,000, along with a gift receipt. ... Warren told plaintiff that he did not want to 'to tell anyone what he [Warren' had done,' or words to that effect." (Brackets in complaint.)

Colombo says Warren didn't stop there, but lured her to a hotel room to discuss her son's schooling after the boy was suspended again.

Colombo says Warren refused to meet with her in the school or at a restaurant and would meet only at a hotel, but assured her "'it's only to talk, no sex,' or words to that effect."

She says Warren changed his tune when she arrived at the hotel and went to use the bathroom. When she returned, she says, Warren "had taken off his pants and was lying on the bed," and said that "he wanted to have sex" with her.

When Colombo refused, she says, Warren "refused to allow B.C. back in school and instead continued B.C.'s suspension."

She claims that her daughter, who also attends Clifton High School, "has endured significant harassment and ridicule as the result of the illegal actions by Warren." She seeks damages for constitutional violations, discrimination and violation of education law.

She is represented by Charles Sciarra with Sciarra & Catrambone of Clifton, N.J.

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