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Eight women — allegedly subjected to years of sexual harassment while working for Iron County School District — have filed suit against the man they say harassed them, and against administrators and district officials who they say failed to stop it.
The man in question, Samuel Naim El-Halta, pleaded guilty in January of seven counts of sexual battery for his behavior toward the women and two counts of accessing pornography on school property, all class A misdemeanors, court records show.
El-Halta, now 41, of Enoch, counseled 7th and 8th graders at Cedar Middle School, where he began working in 2007, and held a supervisory position over the women, the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court states.
He talked to the women about their looks and attire, the suit states, comments that became increasingly inappropriate and made them feel uncomfortable. The women reported the behavior to Kendall Benson, the principal, the document says, and Trent Nielsen, the vice principal.
Superintendent Shannon Dulaney said the district is reviewing the lawsuit with outside counsel.
"Allegations made in a complaint do not establish facts that have been reviewed and determined based on evidence, but mere assertions by employees," she said. "The Iron County School District will respond to these allegations in due course."
Phone messages were not returned from El-Halta or Benson on Tuesday. Nielsen referred a request for comment to the school district
El-Halta would frequently say things like, "That shirt looks good on you," in a suggestive way, the document states, but his comments quickly became more "crude and offensive," evolving into comments about women's anatomy.
He would make similar comments about other employees, mothers of students and, on rare occasions, young female students, the document states. He also allegedly touched the employees inappropriately over their clothes on the buttocks, breasts, legs and shoulders.
The plaintiffs list several specific examples of inappropriate comments in the 31-page complaint — comments that allegedly escalated to outright requests for sexual favors at least once to each plaintiff.
The women would react in a way clearly conveying that his comments and behavior were unwelcome and offensive, the document says, and would avoid him when possible.
When these women reported the behavior to Benson and Nielsen, the administrators allegedly would tell them they were overreacting or would laugh it off, the lawsuit says, or comment, "That's just Sam being Sam."
The administrators also suggested that the women were "asking for it" by the clothing they wore, the document states.
The administrators would, at most, tell El-Halta to stop, the document states, but they did not investigate the complaints, discipline the counselor or stop the harassment. The lawsuit alleges that Iron County School District also failed to clarify policies and procedures for incidents of sexual harassment.
In 2014, someone from the district heard of the complaints and began an investigation. The plaintiffs say the investigation created a "retaliatory and ... hostile working environment."
El-Halta was not placed on leave, and the women were forced to see and interact with him on a daily basis, according to the lawsuit.
A promise of confidentiality was violated, the document says, exposing the women to hostility from El-Halta and others, who blamed the victims for the eventual termination of El-Halta, Benson's "forced retirement," and Nielsen not being hired to replace Benson.
The women seek financial relief from discrimination they say they were subjected to through the years of harassment and working in a hostile environment due to their gender.
In the criminal case, 5th District Judge Keith Barnes in February sentenced El-Halta to 30 days in jail as part of 24-month probation that also included a $1,137 fine.
Police learned in November 2014 that El-Halta had accessed porn while on school grounds, according to Cedar City police. He was fired the same month, school district officials have said.
Investigators searched El-Halta's computer and found at least 10 pornographic images, according to police. During the investigation, seven women were also "identified as having been touched inappropriately by El-Halta," police have said.
Twitter: @mnoblenews