FAIRBANKS -- The Fairbanks school district has agreed to pay $920,000 to settle a civil case stemming from allegations a former Hutchison High School tutor sexually abused a 15-year-old boy.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board announced the settlement Tuesday, saying it would have to pay $250,000 while the balance would be covered by insurance.
Claude Fowlkes III remains jailed while awaiting trial on criminal charges filed in March. The charges deal with alleged sexual abuse of a minor during the first three months of this year. Additional charges filed in June dealt with incidents from 2010.
The civil case centered on claims the district failed to protect a 15-year-old from a sexual predator on school grounds. The family now lives Outside.
Fairbanks attorney Mike Kramer represented the family in a nine-hour mediation session in Seattle, attended by the boy's parents, borough attorneys and the borough insurance company.
"While this financial settlement cannot undo the pain endured by this young man, it can provide them some comfort and long-term security during their difficult recovery," Kramer said.
He said most of the money is to be placed in a trust to pay for future education and counseling for the boy. The settlement will be reviewed by a Fairbanks Superior Court.
The lawsuit alleged the district acted with "reckless indifference" and that the boy was "raped on multiple occasions by a district employee on school grounds."
Superintendent of Schools Pete Lewis lost his job after an internal investigation following Fowlkes' arrest, with the board saying he mishandled the case.