Judge awards $8 million in teacher-student rape case; Compensatory and punitive damages also paid to mother

RALEIGH, N.C. – Wake County Superior Court Judge Carl Fox awarded $8 million in damages in a case involving a 31-year-old middle school teacher’s rape of his 13-year-old student.

The Judge ordered Stevie Robertson to pay $1.5 million in compensatory damages and $4.5 million in punitive damages to the child, as well as $500,000 in compensatory damages and $1.5 million in punitive damages to the child’s mother. Robertson has plead guilty to state charges and is serving a prison sentence.

One of the child’s lawyers, Kieran Shanahan of the Shanahan Law Group, said he was pleased to have secured justice for the girl and her family.

“This case represents a parent’s worst nightmare – you entrust your child to a teacher, and then that trust is violated in an unspeakable manner,” said Shanahan.

“By awarding the maximum punitive damages allowed by law, this judgment sends a strong message that our community will not tolerate a public school teacher’s sexual abuse of a student; it is a violation not only of the child, but of the public trust as well,” said Steven McCallister, another lawyer with the Shanahan Law Group. “This judgment is going to follow Mr. Robertson around for a very long time, and hopefully it will serve as a deterrent to other teachers as well.”

About Shanahan Law Group:
Shanahan Law Group was founded in 2001 when Kieran J. Shanahan decided that a niche existed in Raleigh, North Carolina for a boutique law firm to handle complex business and other litigation matters. Shanahan Law Group represents a variety of business entities and individuals, and offers business advice, litigation, and Trust and Estate services. The firm has over 75 years of collective experience in business, political, and legal arenas. For more information, please call (919) 856-9494 or view the firm’s website at https://shanahanlawgroup.com.