The 12 News I-Team has obtained documents on a lawsuit from the police investigation surrounding a former sixth-grade teacher and her alleged sexual abuse of one of her students, a 13-year-old boy.
The victim's family filed a lawsuit this month, seeking damages from the school district and Brittany Zamora's husband.
The victim’s lawyer, Russ Richelsoph, says Las Brisas Academy school principal, Timothy Dickey, was aware of rumors between 28-year-old Brittany Zamora and her student and could have prevented sexual encounters from happening.
“He was made aware that something was going on before the sexual conduct actually started so it could have been nipped in the bud, it could have been stopped before the damage was done,” said Richelsoph.
According to police documents obtained by 12 News, Dickey, tells detectives he received three notes from students concerned about a possible relationship between the boy and the teacher but admits he made a mistake by not following up with all three students. Instead, he followed up with just one of them.
Dickey also told detectives he never informed parents about any rumors because he didn’t want to “blow it up and make it more than it really was.”
“We’re sorry that it’s come to this. That it’s come to us having to sue the school district to hold them accountable,” said Richelsoph about the Liberty Elementary School District.
The victim’s parents are also suing Zamora’s husband, claiming harassment after police say Zamora’s husband called the victim’s father to keep him from reporting his Zamora to police.
12 News has reached out to Zamora’s husband and the school district, but so fare we have not received a response.
12 News previously learned how the victim says his teacher from Las Brisas Academy in Goodyear, Zamora, lured him into sexual encounters.
In a forensic interview for police, the victim says it started when he was texting his teacher in a classroom chatroom called “Class Craft.” According to the victim, Zamora made an announcement she wasn’t going to be at school, so she asked her students to text her because she would be bored. The texting between the victim and his teacher then turned into flirting.
The victim says Zamora sent him nude pictures. At the time this was happening, police documents reveal the school principal, Tim Dickey, received a written statement from three female students on Feb. 7 of “issues” between Zamora and the victim.
However, Dickey told detectives he did not speak to two of the three female students who sent him the written statement. Dickey admitted to detectives it was a mistake.
The victim’s parents tell detectives their son disclosed two sexual encounters that occurred Feb. 16 and 17.
There were other encounters including one on school campus after a school talent show. According to detectives who spoke to the victim’s parents, there were at least four sexual encounters, documents say.
Zamora was caught when the victim's stepmom was monitoring his phone with a parental control app, documents say.
Zamora was arrested after a phone call between the victim's parents and Zamora, where she apologized and offered to resign, documents say.
