CAMDEN -- Teachers, principals and administrators in the Vineland school district knew about a teacher who was preying on a 13-year-old female student and administrators did not act quickly to prevent it, the guardian of the child alleges in a federal lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the unnamed student in federal court in Camden last week, claims the administration at Vineland schools in Cumberland County "turned a blind eye and deaf ear" to Richard Super's actions.

The Vineland Board of Education, Vineland School District Superintendent Mary Gruccio, Anthony Rossi Intermediate School principal Tammy Monahan and assistant principal Michael Sullivan are listed as defendants.

Super, who is now 36, was arrested in June 2016 on charges of endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly sending a 13-year-old female student communications of "a sexual nature," police said at the time.

Super was placed on paid leave but eventually resigned from his teaching position in September 2016. In May 2017, he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree cruelty and neglect to children and was given a two-year probation sentence. His teaching license has since been revoked.

The lawsuit, however, claims that students, numerous teachers were aware of Super's suspicious actions around the student and alerted upper administration but upper administration failed to act upon the claims once the first rumors began to circulate.

A month before Super was arrested, the principal, Tammy Monahan, called Super into her office to tell him his interactions with the student "did not seem appropriate," the lawsuit claims.

Allegations made in the lawsuit against the Vineland school district.

When the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office investigated the relationship between Super and the student, they found close to 4,600 emails back and forth during a two-month span. The messages that were sexual were also sent and received using a school-issued email account. The two would message each other at all hours, including into the late night and early morning. One of the dates where the two exchanged emails were during the Christening of Super's child.

The lawsuit alleges the district did not properly protect the student by using its e-mail software monitoring program that could have detected "the teacher's outrageous and prohibited pattern of electronic conduct."

During one of the exchanges, the student told Super that they were "naked buddies." Other language in the emails could have been picked up by the monitoring software as being inappropriate and could have alerted officials, the lawsuit claims.

"While the ex-teacher has been prosecuted, the full measure of justice requires that those who failed to protect this young, vulnerable victim - who is emotionally scarred for life - be held accountable," said Paul R. D'Amato, of the D'Amato Firm, who is representing the student. "We hope to ensure that what happened to our client never happens again."

Vineland School District Executive Director of Personnel Joseph Rossi said that the district was aware of the pending litigation. Rossi said the district has fully cooperated when asked about turning over certain documents and, prepared with legal counsel, will move forward as necessary.

The student is allegedly suffering from anxiety, depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. While also requesting a jury trial, she is seeking compensatory and punitive damages as well as payment of medical bills. Although a monetary amount was not included, a $5 million tort notice was filed in January of this year.

Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook