Ninnekah Public Schools To Pay $7.5M To Settle Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Ninnekah Public Schools will pay $7.5 million to settle a sexual abuse federal lawsuit. It's a record settlement for abuse cases against Oklahoma school districts. 

The suit was filed by 14 women and girls who were sexually abused by their basketball coach.

RELATED: 'I Wanted To Look Out For Other Girls': Young Women Speak In Court About Former Coach's Assault

The filing claims the abuse went on for years as multiple district leaders turned a blind eye.

“There's no excuse for any abuse, much less for 14 girls to have to go through this one after another, it's a complete failure,” said attorney Ross Leonoudakis, attorney for plaintiffs.                   

In 2021, Ninnekah high school basketball coach Ronald Akins was arrested for rape and sexual battery, survivors filed one by one. One of them sat down with News 9 in 2021.

“Puts his hand on my thigh and he says you know why I love your long hair? Because I’ve always had a crush on you,” said a survivor.

Many of the girls and women cried out for help but were ignored.

“He had done it before and he was going to do it again and I really wanted to look for anyone else that he might be impacting,” said survivor Shelby Boyd.       

In 2023 Akins pleaded guilty.

RELATED: Former Oklahoma High School Coach Pleads Guilty In Student Abuse Case

“No we don’t have justice in stealing the innocence of a child,” said Cameron Spradling, attorney for plaintiffs.                

With Akins serving a 15-year prison sentence, Wednesday, a federal judge ordered his former employer Ninnekah Public Schools to pay $7.5 million.

“The kids didn’t put them in this position, the kids were traumatized and the entities that are there that protect the perpetrators or fail to protect the victims are the ones who end up having to pay for it,” said Leonoudakis.

Akins' survivors hope it will bring about change.

“I think it should create change to protect kids in that community and send a message across that state for others to change the way they handle child sexual abuse,” said Leonoudakis.

Of the $7.5 million Ninnekah Public Schools will pay victims $6 million over three years.

The district has thirty days to pay attorneys $1.5 million.

News 9 reached out to Ninnekah Public Schools for comment but did not receive a response.