A teacher and coach at James Clemens High School is accused of isolating, harassing and sexually abusing a former student, according to a recently filed federal lawsuit.

The student — identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe — became suicidal and left the Madison city school as a result of nearly a year of abuse by history teacher and basketball coach Philip Dewayne Perkins, according to the lawsuit.

Perkins and Superintendent Robby Parker are named as defendants in the lawsuit that was filed in U.S. District Court this past week. The six-count lawsuit alleges Doe’s Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process and equal protection were violated.

“Mr. Parker denies the allegations of the complaint and it will be vigorously defended," a school system spokesman said in a statement.

A person who identified himself as Perkins hung up the phone when contacted by AL.com today. Perkins still works for the school system.

During a span of nearly a year during the 2017-18 school year, Perkins often touched Doe’s buttocks and breasts, the lawsuit states. The incidents often happened during basketball practices when Perkins played with the students, according to the lawsuit. Doe was 14 when the abuse began, court records state.

“When Doe was playing offense during practices, Perkins always would choose to guard her and used his arm to brush up against her breasts,” according to the lawsuit.

Doe was miserable, her grades slipped and her personality changed. She became angry and defiant. To avoid being around Perkins, Doe told her parents that basketball practice was canceled, the lawsuit says.

Doe finished the season on Feb. 2, 2018. But the “lingering psychological damage from the past assaults took such a toll on her mental health that she began to feel suicidal,” the lawsuit states. She underwent inpatient care in a mental health unit and told a counselor about the abuse by Perkins, according to the lawsuit.

Ahead of the 2018-19 school year, Doe withdrew from James Clemens and enrolled at a private school. Because the private school’s sophomore class was at capacity, she had to repeat freshman year, the lawsuit says.

“Perkins deliberately isolated, harassed, and sexually abused Jane Doe for nearly a year," attorneys wrote in court records. "This abuse caused her emotional and mental anguish, some of which is still ongoing. “Due to her transfer … and repeat of her freshman year, Perkins effectively stole a year of Doe’s life, and may have successfully prevented her from pursuing any hopes of playing college sports.”

Perkins was hired by the Madison City Schools system in 2009. He transferred to James Clemens when the school opened in 2012.

During the 2017-18 school year, Doe was a 14-year-old freshman. Perkins was her basketball coach and history teacher.

“From nearly their first contact, Perkins went out of his way to single out and harass Doe both in practice and in the classroom,” the lawsuit states. He embarrassed her in front of her classmates and worked to turn her teammates against her, court records state. He forbid her from talking to or sitting with boys because she was “(his) and no one else’s,” according to the lawsuit.

Because of Doe’s statements to a counselor, she was sent to the Children’s Advocacy Center, which believed Perkins’ actions were criminal, according to the lawsuit. The Madison Police Department investigated the case but didn’t file criminal charges. The school system also investigated the complaint.

“The allegations of assault or other misconduct made at that time were not corroborated by either the Madison Police Department or the Madison City Schools’ investigation,” the school system said in a statement. “Madison City Schools’ investigation included meetings with the family and interviews with students and faculty.”

The lawsuit says Perkins was put on leave by the school but reinstated for lack of evidence. About two weeks later, Perkins was again placed on leave because of inappropriate behavior with another student, the lawsuit says. He again returned to teaching—this time as an online instructor, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit accuses Parker of negligence for failure to properly train and supervise Perkins. It also accuses Parker of negligent hiring, alleging that Perkins faced misdemeanor charges of domestic violence around the time he was hired.

The two charges were dismissed in August of 2009 after Perkins completed a domestic-violence prevention educational program, court records show. .

Eric Artrip, an attorney at Mastando and Artrip law firm, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Doe family, said he hopes bringing attention to this case will make educational settings safer for female students.

“We’ve really seen a sea change in the past few years with the Me Too movement,” he said. “Women, young women and children are more comfortable going forward with cases now because (perpetrators) don’t get quite the free pass they once did."