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Published – July 10, 2024

A lawsuit was filed against Unadilla Valley Central School District by Dawn Tumilowicz, a former employee of the district, for several instances of abuse. According to WBNG 12 News, several allegations were issued by the Pechman Law firm in the lawsuit. 

The allegations include the following:

• “A male driver was overheard by Tumilowicz commenting on a kindergarten girl’s shorts. Stating the kindergartner should, according to the document, ‘Come back and see him when she turned 18.’”

• “Inappropriate sexual comments and teasing.” “Sexual harassment and making fun of her 3-year-old for not being able to walk due to a sensory processing disorder.”

Accusations were made against other individuals in the district, including another driver who was accused of barging “into the restroom following Tumilowicz.” 

Moreover, “The [district] transportation director said he knew about the inappropriate behavior at the bus garage by various drivers but if anyone found [out] he said he would lose his job.” The transportation director was also “accused of covering up two bus accidents which were caused by inappropriate behavior amongst drivers.”

Another driver in the district was accused of making a lewd statement indicative of past or potential sexual harassment towards minors: 

“During a sexual harassment training, a video on how to recognize signs of sexual abuse in children, one driver stated, ‘don’t come to my house then.’”

Pechman Law firm lawyer Vivianna Morales told WBNG 12 News the following regarding the lawsuit and its allegations:

“In this matter, the school district has failed in its responsibility to Dawn and to the children who ride the buses to school. These are horrifying allegations for any workplace but it is sickening for these to have happened in a school district. You would hope that a school district would be more sensitive to bullying, particularly when it involves demeaning sexual harassment. Unfortunately, the school district did not protect Dawn or the children for that matter.”

Please send information on Unadilla Valley Central School District to [email protected]. 

Unadilla Valley Central School District has 801 students enrolled across four schools.