A Detroit mother has filed a lawsuit in Macomb County Circuit Court, alleging her 10-year-old child was exposed to pornography by a substitute teacher at the Academy of Warren, according to the complaint. The K–8 charter school is now facing a civil suit that claims the child developed anxiety and nightmares and is refusing to return to class. The family is seeking unspecified damages tied to what they describe as lasting emotional harm.
As reported by The Detroit News, the complaint says the student told staff he could see the substitute's hand moving in his pants and that adult material was visible through a glass panel next to the classroom door. The mother's attorney, Jon Marko, said in a press release that "a school is supposed to be a safe place, a place where children can learn, grow, and thrive without fear," and the filing argues the academy failed to provide that basic level of safety.
The substitute has been identified as 63-year-old Francesco Iaquinta of Livonia. The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office announced that Iaquinta was arraigned after the September 24, 2024 incident on a felony count of distributing sexually explicit matter to children and a misdemeanor count of obscene disorderly conduct, with bond set at $25,000. Local station WDIV ClickOnDetroit reported that it was Iaquinta's first day at the school, and early arraignment coverage tracked the initial fallout from the charges.
Online court records and subsequent reporting show Iaquinta later pleaded no contest in 2025, was ordered to serve 11 months' probation, complete impulse-control and sexual-abuse prevention treatment, and that the felony distribution charge was dismissed in January 2026. He was also banned from having contact with the Academy of Warren, The Detroit News reports. Those criminal outcomes did not prevent the mother from filing the civil suit this week.
What the Lawsuit Claims and How the School Responded
The lawsuit accuses the Academy of Warren of negligent hiring and supervision and of failing to protect students from foreseeable harm while they were in class. According to the complaint, the school did not do enough to keep children safe from the substitute's alleged conduct.
Academy officials have said that once staff learned of the incident, Iaquinta was immediately turned over to law enforcement. They have also stated that he passed a background check before being placed in the classroom. The school identifies itself as a K–8 charter on its website. The civil suit names only the Academy of Warren as the defendant and asks a judge to award damages for the child's ongoing trauma.
Legal Stakes Behind the Civil Case
The mother’s decision to sue now, even after the criminal case ended with a no-contest plea and a dismissed felony charge, lines up with how the civil and criminal systems work in practice. In criminal court, prosecutors must prove charges "beyond a reasonable doubt." In civil court, families like this one generally need to show their claims by a lower standard, known as a preponderance of the evidence, according to Cornell Law School. That gap in standards means a criminal dismissal or plea does not automatically bar a civil lawsuit.
What Comes Next in Court
The case is now on the Macomb County Circuit Court docket. It is expected to move through discovery and pretrial motions, a phase where internal records and sworn depositions could shed more light on how the Academy of Warren vetted and supervised the substitute.
Future hearings, filings and any public statements from the school or the family's legal team will likely shape what the public learns about the incident and the academy's response. We will continue to follow the court docket and official releases as the case moves forward.
