A now 56-year-old man who claimed a middle school teacher sexually assaulted him in the early 1980s has settled a lawsuit against the Audubon school district for $960,000.
The alleged victim said David Halbert, a teacher in the Camden County school district, plied him with alcohol before sexually assaulting him on a camping trip when he was 12- or 13-years-old, the suit said.
News of the settlement was first reported by TransparencyNJ.com, a news site that reports on documents obtained through the state’s Open Public Records law.
Two other students later signed sworn statements alleging Halbert abused them, the lawsuit said.
Halpert denied the allegations in court papers. His attorney, Thomas Gosse, didn’t immediately respond to a request to comment on the settlement Tuesday.
Audubon school officials didn’t immediately respond to a request to comment.
Prior to the first alleged sexual assault, Halbert allegedly groomed the boy for about six months in school before inviting the middle school student to go camping alone with him.
Halbert met the boy and his father at a gas station, buying beer before taking the child to Lady’s Lake in Medford, the lawsuit said.
Halbert also allegedly sexually assaulted the boy on other occasions following the camping excursion.
As result of the abuse, the alleged victim developed problems with alcohol and drugs, according to the lawsuit. He also had anger issues as an adult, the suit said.
The alleged victim didn’t tell anyone about the abuse until decades later, though the suit alleged Halbert showed signs of misconduct that the district didn’t act upon.
The suit went on to say that a social worker called district officials in 1987 to report that “some children have come forward regarding Halbert.”
Stories by Jeff Goldman
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.