Prairie Park parent sues Lawrence school district over alleged sexual abuse of child
A Prairie Park Elementary School mother and her daughter have filed a lawsuit against Lawrence Unified School District 497 after former employee Mark Elliott Gridley allegedly sexually abused multiple students, including the 6-year-old plaintiff.
Gridley, 60, abused at least eight students while working as a speech and language pathologist at Prairie Park, according to court documents and the Lawrence Police Department. Most, if not all, of the assaults took place between February 6 and 7, according to police. Gridley was arrested on Feb. 8 after a student reported “events that occurred during the school day” to a parent on Feb 7.
“Gridley used his position of trust and authority to isolate, groom, and/or sexually abuse students under the guise of speech therapy, including Plaintiff,” Friday’s lawsuit reads.
Gridley was charged with kidnapping and aggravated indecent liberties with a child in Douglas County court on Feb. 10, according to court records. Police learned about a second assault the same day and had identified at least six further victims by Feb. 24, when the USD 497 school board voted to formally terminate Gridley’s employment.
Investigators believe that Gridley’s victims ranged in age from 6 to 11 years old. The lawsuit alleges that the 6-year-old victim in question suffered a physical injury as a result of Gridley’s abuse.
“Gridley’s conduct was outrageous and placed Plaintiff at risk for physical and emotional harm,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Phillip Reed Martins of Kansas City firm Monsees & Mayer, alleges that Lawrence USD 497 was negligent in allowing Gridley to sexually abuse the student on school grounds. The suit alleges that the district failed in its duty to protect the students who are in its custody during the school day, as well as its duty to ensure that Gridley and other staff members do not pose a danger to students.
The lawsuit specifically alleges that the district was aware of Gridley’s conduct but failed to launch an investigation, allowing further sexual abuse of students to continue. This leaves the district liable to responsibility for acts of sexual abuse and battery committed by Gridley, the suit argues.
“At this stage, we are in the process of gathering further information to better understand the full scope of the incident,” Samantha McCoy, marketing director at Monsees & Mayer, told The Star Monday. “We plan to subpoena the police file and Mr. Gridley’s employment records from his previous employer, which we hope will provide additional insights into the case.”
Neither Martins nor USD 497 were immediately available for comment on Friday. USD 497 superintendent Jeanice Swift last addressed parents in a Feb. 10 letter, in which she wrote that “serious allegations” had led to Gridley’s arrest and that he had been relieved of all duties.
Swift wrote on Feb. 10 that the district has the “highest standards for our employees, who are entrusted to care for, educate, and support our community’s children.”
Gridley is currently in the custody of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on a $1.5 million bond. He will appear in Douglas County court on March 26 at 9 a.m. for a status hearing on the criminal charges.
The first hearing regarding the lawsuit has not yet been scheduled. The plaintiffs and their attorneys are demanding a jury trial and will seek upwards of $75,000 in damages, according to the lawsuit.
Previous reporting by The Star’s Nathan Pilling contributed to this article.
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 9:13 PM.
