Son of former Cass Co. superintendent settles lawsuit over alleged sexual misconduct
Update: On Friday, Lt. Chris Osterberg, a Harrisonville Police Department spokesman, said the police investigation into alleged sexual misconduct involving the former high school staffer is “still an ongoing investigation.”
A Cass County judge has approved a settlement between a teenage girl and a former Harrisonville superintendent and his son, a former school district employee who was accused in a lawsuit of having a sexual relationship with the minor.
The settlement puts an apparent end to the civil case. It began in 2017 with allegations about Joseph Dahman, who resigned as a coach and support staff member that year after being put on administrative leave.
His father, Frank Dahman, resigned as superintendent the following year, also after being put on leave. He also was named as a defendant in the suit.
The settlement amount was not disclosed during the hearing Wednesday afternoon in Cass County Circuit Court. Attorneys representing the teen, her mother, and Frank and Joseph Dahman were present.
Per the agreement outlined in court, the parties waived a jury trial, the case will be dismissed and the teen will be barred from suing the Dahmans and others in the future.
Attorneys representing the teen and the Dahmans declined to comment on the settlement after Wednesday’s hearing.
The lawsuit was filed in January 2019 on behalf of the teen, who was 14 when she began attending Harrisonville High School, where Joseph Dahman worked during the 2016-2017 school year.
According to the lawsuit, Joseph Dahman allegedly had a sexual relationship with the girl that involved the sharing of pornographic images, use of illegal substances and sexual contact on and off campus, including in his vehicle and home.
The lawsuit stated that Frank Dahman failed to report or investigate his son’s suspicious conduct involving the teen. It claimed that the teen told the superintendent on “many occasions” that Joseph Dahman was her “best friend” and that he knew the teen was spending time in Joseph Dahman’s classroom, even when she wasn’t assigned to be there.
Several other administrators and teachers who became suspicious of the teen’s interactions with Joseph Dahman also were listed as defendants when the lawsuit was initially filed. They were released from the lawsuit earlier this month along with the school district.
The Harrisonville Police Department began investigating allegations of sexual misconduct in August 2017 after administrators questioned the girl about her relationship with Joseph Dahman. The case was then turned over to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office. No criminal charges have been filed.
The teen contends in the settlement agreement that she suffered “pain, shock, emotional distress, loss of self-esteem, disgrace, humiliation and loss of enjoyment of life” as a result of the actions of Joseph Dahman and lack of response from the superintendent, Frank Dahman. Both have denied the allegations.
The teen’s mother, in front of Associate Circuit Judge Michael Rumley, indicated during Wednesday’s hearing that she and her daughter understood and approved of the terms of the settlement, which is expected to be paid out over a period of 25 years once the teen turns 18.
Second lawsuit dropped
A second lawsuit was filed in Cass County a year ago on behalf of a second female student, who was assigned to a focus room at the high school where Joseph Dahman was a facilitator in 2017.
The suit, which has since been dismissed, alleged sexual harassment and abuse by Joseph Dahman. It originally named the Harrisonville School District, an administrator, a teacher and the Dahmans as defendants.
According to the suit, Joseph Dahman allegedly had sexual contact with the student, showed her pornographic material, sent her explicit messages and images, and made comments about her physical appearance.
The incidents allegedly took place on and off the school campus from April to August in 2017 when the girl was 16 and 17 years old, according to the lawsuit. It stated that Dahman, who was also a coach, had contact with the teen during the summer as she worked at a school-sponsored football camp.
In the spring of 2017, Dahman reportedly cautioned the teen to be careful about contacting him at school because other teachers made comments to him about how close he was with her, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit stated that other employees in the school district “knew or should have known” that Dahman was sexually harassing and having physical contact with the teen, “yet, no remedial action was taken.”
In August, an amended petition was filed that stated all defendants with the exception of the Dahmans would be dropped from the lawsuit.
A month later, an attorney, on behalf of the former student, filed a motion to drop the lawsuit altogether “with prejudice.”
The girl’s attorney, John E. Turner, did not return emailed messages seeking comment on the dismissal.
Mark Katz, who represented Joseph Dahman in the case, said he was unable to comment on the matter.
This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 7:34 PM.
