A southwestern Illinois school district that paid $5.6 million to settle four lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of students by a former superintendent says its insurers are denying coverage for a fifth complaint.
The Freeburg district in St. Clair County settled complaints by former elementary students who claimed abuse by Robin Hawkins, who killed himself in 2009 while being investigated.
A fifth former student at Carl L. Barton Elementary School sued the district in June 2014, four months after the other settlements were disclosed.
The Belleville News-Democrat reports that one Freeburg insurer says its policy excludes coverage for sexual abuse claims, while another claims it didn’t insure the district at the time of the alleged abuse.
Insurance companies also initially denied coverage in the four previous cases prior to settlement.
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