Four Westview Middle School students have taken the Riverview Gardens School District to court, filing a civil lawsuit on May 31, 2026 that accuses the district and several top administrators of sexual abuse and failing to protect children. The complaint names former Westview principal Cedric Gerald, a teacher and two district superintendents as defendants and seeks damages for what the students say was serious harm. The filing also casts their allegations as part of a broader pattern that critics argue reaches back to Gerald's earlier postings in other schools.
What The Complaint Says
The suit, brought by four plaintiffs identified as John Doe 1, John Doe 2, Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, alleges that Gerald cultivated friendships with male students, pulled some of them out of class and then engaged in sexual acts with them while they were minors. It also accuses Westview teacher Joshua Hendon of groping a female student. According to the complaint, district leaders Joylynn Pruitt-Adams and Tanya Patton ignored earlier complaints and did not conduct a background check when Gerald was hired in 2023. Each plaintiff is seeking more than $25,000 in damages, and the lawsuit lists the Riverview Gardens School District along with Gerald, Hendon, Pruitt-Adams and Patton as defendants, according to First Alert 4.
Criminal Charges And Past Investigations
Separate from the civil case, Gerald was charged in May 2025 with multiple sex-offense counts tied to alleged misconduct with students. Authorities described the charges as including sexual trafficking of a child, sexual exploitation, possession of child pornography and statutory sodomy. Police have said investigators believe there could be additional victims and that Gerald made statements during the investigation that matched several victims' disclosures. Those criminal proceedings are moving forward on a track distinct from the new lawsuit, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
District Response And Earlier Settlements
The Riverview Gardens School District said in a public statement that once it learned of the allegations against Gerald it promptly notified the Missouri Children's Division and law enforcement, placed him on administrative leave and then accepted his resignation, according to First Alert 4. The district also said it has reached resolutions with other students who previously claimed Gerald abused them.
That history sits alongside a separate civil payout this spring, when the neighboring Ferguson-Florissant district agreed to a $1.75 million settlement in a claim tied to Gerald's time at McCluer High School, a development that increased scrutiny on how area districts handle hiring and oversight of school leaders.
Legal Obligations Schools Face
The lawsuit argues that district staff violated duties imposed by Missouri law on teachers, principals and other mandated reporters who are required to contact the state's Children's Division if they suspect child abuse. Missouri's Children’s Division outlines who qualifies as a mandated reporter, what must be reported and how to reach the abuse and neglect hotline, and the statute governing those duties, RSMo 210.115, specifies that supervisors may not interfere with an employee's decision to report. Those legal requirements form a key backdrop for the plaintiffs' claim that adults in the system failed to act. Missouri Department of Social Services, Children’s Division; RSMo 210.115.
What Comes Next
The civil case now heads into the St. Louis County courts, where discovery could bring hiring files, background checks and prior complaints under the microscope. St. Louis County police have previously asked anyone with information to contact investigators, and the lawsuit may prompt more witnesses or additional civil claims to surface. For the moment, the filing places Riverview Gardens leadership and the staff named in the complaint under civil scrutiny, while the criminal prosecution of Gerald moves ahead separately, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
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