North Texas mom sues private school and teacher who groomed her daughter

A North Texas mother is suing a teacher who was convicted of sexually abusing her teenage daughter, and has also named the private school and its principal as defendants in the lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, filed Monday in Collin County’s 471st District Court, the family is seeking more than $1 million in damages from former teacher Jacob Allred, Great Lakes Academy in Plano, and Principal Matthew Jason Campbell.

The suit alleges that the private school and principal failed to protect students, failed to prevent and report grooming, and failed to respond appropriately to internal whistleblower complaints about Allred’s conduct.

Allred, 32, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to criminal charges of sexual performance of a child and improper relationship between an educator and student.

“Fortunately, Jacob Allred is behind bars, where he belongs, but this lawsuit is about more than just punishing one predator,” said attorney Ty Stimpson, who represents the victim’s family.

Stimpson, who leads the personal injury division at the Varghese Summersett law firm in Fort Worth, said in a news release that this was a failure by all parties. “We are holding them accountable for the irreparable harm caused by their inaction and indifference,” Stimpson said.

Allred, who was the victim’s ninth-grade teacher at the time, was arrested in January 2024 after the grooming turned into physical contact and the girl reported what was happening to her mother, authorities said.

According to the lawsuit, the abuse began in 2023 when Allred pulled the student into the school library and told her he had romantic feelings for her, and afterward he started sending her sexual messages.

The lawsuit also says that Campbell failed as a mandatory reporter, because he was made aware of other times when Allred tried to groom children.

According to the law firm’s press release, Campbell issued a verbal warning and a written reprimand to Allred but did not contact police, or the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

“The school and the principal had a legal and moral duty to provide a safe learning environment for their students,” Stimpson said in the statement. “Instead, they allowed a predator to operate unchecked and failed to take appropriate action after becoming aware of disturbing misconduct. Their negligence was not just unacceptable — it was extreme and outrageous.”

The school, also known as, G.R.E.A.T. Kids with ADHD, specializes in educating students with learning disabilities.

In a statement to WFAA-TV after Allred’s arrest, Great Lakes Academy Executive Director and founder Marjolein Borsten said, “As trusted educators charged with protecting the safety and well-being of our students, we take seriously our roles in fostering a safe, positive and nurturing environment. We are shocked and deeply disappointed to learn of the alleged violations made by a former employee of Great Lakes Academy.”