HUMBOLDT — A lawsuit filed in Humboldt County accuses the Humboldt Community School District and its superintendent of knowing about the sexual abuse of a middle school student by a teacher, then failing to act and instead acting to conseal it.

The teacher, Samantha Meyer-Davis, was sentenced in federal court to 20 years in prison on October 6 after she pleaded guilty to exploitation; she was charged with sexually exploiting and showing obscene material to a student between May 2022 and November 2023.

The lawsuit filed on October 7 alleges Jim Murray, the superintendent, knew that the student, who was 14 and in Meyer-Davis’s eighth-grade class, was being exploited but initially told staff not to contact law enforcement.

The Daily Freeman-Journal is not naming the plaintiffs to avoid identifying the victim in this case.

The lawsuit makes the following accusations:

“In May of 2022, Meyer-Davis began sexually exploiting (the student) both on and off school grounds. …

“In the Fall of 2022, Defendants were informed that Meyer-Davis was sexually exploiting (the student), engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship and Defendants were provided a photograph depicting (the student) and Meyer-Davis, where (the student) was in a state of partial undress.

“Defendants did not notify Plaintiffs that they were provided with said photograph.

“Superintendent Jim Murray instructed HCSD staff not to inform law enforcement.”

The suit, filed by attorney Jordan R. Hutchinson, of the Hutchinson Law Firm, PLC, West Des Moines, alleges that Murray “instructed HCSD staff not to open a formal investigation. Superintendent Jim Murray instead instructed members of the staff to speak with Meyer-Davis about the relationship and instructed her to stop communicating with (the student).

“When confronted, Meyer-Davis informed HCSD that she would not cease communication with (the student).”

It was at that point, the suit alleges, that Murray instructed HCSD staff to contact the parents of the student. During the meeting that followed, the plaintiffs were told there was “a rumor” about the nature of the relationship between the student and Meyer-Davis.

In September 2023 the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation became involved by interviewing the student regarding Meyer-Davis. A search of the student’s cell phone then “found evidence of sexual exploitation.”

There were subsequent searches of both the student’s and Meyer-Davis’ homes.

It was in November 2023 when the plaintiffs first learned of the sexual exploitation allegations. Shortly thereafter, the suit states, Meyer-Davis was put on paid leave.

“HCSD took no corrective action against Meyer-Davis between fall of 2022 when

they became aware of her sexual exploitation of (the student) and when law enforcement executed their search warrants in November 2023.

The lawsuit charges negligence, negligent supervision and retention, premises liability, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and loss of parental consortium.

The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial.