Legal filings contend principal sexually harassed students

Two females have filed legal documents against a western Idaho school district contending a high school principal sexually harassed them at the school while they were students and district officials failed to act.

One is a former student and the other, who was under 18, says the harassment took place last fall. They filed tort claims against the Fruitland School District earlier this month. A tort claim is a precursor to a lawsuit against a public agency.

Mike Fitch resigned last week as principal of Fruitland High School after being charged in February with two counts of sexual battery and one charge of patronizing a prostitute. He has pleaded not guilty.

A school employee filed a separate tort claim involving those charges, contending district officials failed to investigate when the employee reported Fitch behaved inappropriately toward her.

District officials didn’t return a call from The Associated Press on Monday.