For some children in Palm Beach County, the tender years of childhood have been marred by outrageous acts of sexual abuse. What makes matters even worse is that the violations involved the School District, which has repeatedly downplayed their responsibility by placing blame on the children.

One such case involving three 9-year-olds and one 10-year-old has dragged on for 12 long years. The Palm Beach County school district has defended itself by saying the girls were, “old enough to appreciate the consequences of their actions.”

The events which took place in 2005 at Coral Sunset Elementary, near Boca Raton, have the four young girls claiming they were abused by their third-grade teacher.

After one of the girls told her mother about her teacher touching her under her clothing, then asking her to touch him on top of his clothing in his private area, three other girls reported to police similar incidents with the same teacher.

School police investigated and determined that the third-grade teacher, Blake Sinrod, should be charged with abusing all four girls. Sinrod pleaded guilty to abusing two of the girls.

Court records show that adjudication was withheld after Sinrod met the conditions of his probation. He was fired in 2006 and his teaching license was revoked in 2008.

The case against the School Board has repeatedly been amended and appealed.

This year, the school district hired a forensic psychologist to evaluate the victims. His conclusion was that the former students, who are now adults, were telling the truth.

But the Palm Beach County School Board has a history of blaming the child victims. Documents reveal they’ve placed “shared blame” on a string of young accusers.

One case involving a 6-year-old claimed the girl “conducted herself in a careless and negligent manner.”

Another case with a 7-year-old autistic child claims the boy was negligent for not telling his parents of the abuse. Other cases have been settled, more are still pending.

Several School Board members have come forward to reject the idea that the young victims are even partially to blame. The Board members claim they were unaware and unsupportive of the defense tactics being used in these cases.

The Palm Beach County School Board is expected to vote on a $3.6 million settlement agreement in the four girls’ case on Wednesday.