Another student who says they were filmed while changing sues Johnson County school
An unnamed plaintiff is suing St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park and former choir teacher Joseph Heidesch, alleging she was among the victims filmed while changing in his office, according to court documents filed Friday in Johnson County District Court.
Heidesch, 46, is also facing 30 felony charges, including sexual exploitation of children and breach of privacy, after allegedly forcing students to change in his office, where he had secretly placed video cameras.
The civil lawsuit is the third filed against Heidesch and the school this year by victims and their families. The teacher of 22 years was arrested in October 2021.
The anonymous plaintiff, who enrolled at the school in 2017 and participated in choir and show choir while attending the school, alleges that Heidesch required students to go through multiple rounds of outfit changes under the guise of trying on different sizes, even when students were confident in their outfit and questioned his insistence.
Heidesch then collected the videos and screenshots and organized them into folders by the students’ names, according to court documents.
The lawsuit also says St. Thomas Aquinas was aware Heidesch communicated with students directly using his personal cellphone without parents’ knowledge. Similarly, it alleges the school knew the teacher required female students to change in his office.
The victim does not know if the images of her were distributed, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiff is suing the school for negligence and premises liability. Both Heidesch and the school are being sued for invasion of privacy and emotional distress.
Her attorney, Todd Johnson, told The Star the school violated the student’s trust on multiple occasions.
“We are hopeful that the courage of our client to come forward regarding the sexual exploitation of children at St. Thomas Aquinas will help protect future classes,” Johnson said in a statement sent Tuesday. “We look forward to holding the defendants accountable for their conduct and lack of oversight.”
The first civil lawsuit against the school and Heidesch was filed in April.
In early October, another lawsuit was filed against St. Thomas Aquinas and Heidesch by a victim and her mother.
That student was enrolled in 2020 and participated in show choir, where she, too, was recorded without her knowledge or consent. She claims she was falsely told a special door lock had been purchased to ensure their safety while changing in his office.
The school could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.