Suit charges Upper St. Clair officials made rape victim 'bait'

July 30, 2010 12:00 AM

By Paula Reed Ward Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A former Upper St. Clair High School student who already claimed she had been raped once was raped again on school property after school officials used her as bait in a failed attempt to catch students they believed were having sex in the building, her attorneys claim.

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The girl's attorneys contend that two girls were raped in the stairwell that afternoon, including their client.

"Ghilani's 'sting operation,' which prevented von Waldow from placing Jane Doe on her bus and out of harm's way so that she could be used as bait, resulted in her being violently raped. Ghilani and the school district acted in utter disregard of her welfare."

David J. Barton, the attorney representing the student, called Mr. Ghilani's attempt at a sting "ill-conceived."

"As a parent, I'm offended that a high school principal would use anybody's daughter as bait."

Among the claims by the girl and her parents are that school officials failed to act when they knew the boy was a threat.

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