Jury Awards $3.5 Million to Survivor in Harrisville Abuse Case

The survivor was nine years old when the abuse by teacher Bette Shampine began. Although his parents reported the misconduct to the district, the lawsuit stated that administrators failed to investigate or take action. The student was subsequently held back in the third grade, remaining in Shampine’s classroom where the abuse continued.

Craig Bernhardt, lead trial attorney at Herman Law, argued that the case exposed deep-seated institutional failures rather than the actions of a single individual. The trial proceeded under New York’s Child Victims Act, which allows survivors to pursue civil claims previously barred by the statute of limitations. This verdict highlights the ongoing impact of the legislation in forcing organizations to confront historical lapses in student safety.