Two former West Linn High School students are suing the school district for $6 million, alleging officials failed to protect them from a former teacher convicted of abusing them in 2015.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Clackamas County Circuit Court, accuses the West Linn-Wilsonville School District of negligence and claims the district didn't intervene or fully investigate rumors Jonathan Peachey had engaged in inappropriate relationships with West Linn students; didn't report suspected child abuse to the Department of Human Services, police or other authorities; and kept Peachey on staff after learning of the allegations.

Peter Janci, one of the attorneys representing the male teen victims, said they believe evidence will show Peachey regularly socialized with students outside of school to groom them, bought them gifts that included underwear, plied them with alcohol and made inappropriate gestures of affection with students. Several red flags were known and ignored by school employees, Janci said.

"Our goal is to make sure something like this doesn't happen anywhere else," Janci said. "And one of the first steps is holding these school districts accountable and making sure these schools have policies and cultures in place to immediately take action when there is suspected child abuse."

District officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit Thursday.

Peachey, 36, was sentenced in Lake Oswego Municipal Court in February 2016 to two months in jail for third-degree sexual abuse and three years of probation, and he was required to register as a sex offender. According to a Lake Oswego Deputy City Attorney Jerry Seeberger, Peachey groped and fondled two boys when they were 14 and 17 on separate occasions in July and September 2015 at a Lake Oswego home owned by friends of Peachey who routinely let him house-sit. The 14-year-old was a relative of the homeowners.

Peachey worked for the district for 12 years and taught Spanish and English language development. He was also adviser for the school's ski club and link crew, which helps freshmen make the transition to high school. He resigned in October 2015, a month after his arrest and when he was placed on leave by the district.

According to the lawsuit, Peachey used his position to gain the boys' trust and groomed them. They didn't initially comprehend the abusive nature of Peachey's actions because of their admiration and respect for him.

The 17-year-old told police he confided in Peachey after coming out as gay. Peachey took the boy out for dinners, and they spent time together at the Lake Oswego home, including sharing the same bed at times, according to Seeberger.

In July 2015, the boy told police Peachey grabbed his genitals while they were lying in bed, Seeberger said. The boy claimed Peachey said he loved him. The boy said he was uncomfortable and left. He told a friend, and the friend told his mother, who is a teacher. The teacher then notified police that September.

The 14-year-old said he was sleeping at the Lake Oswego home earlier that month when he awoke to Peachey touching his genitals, according to the prosecutor. The boy suspected Peachey was drunk.

That teen's mother said in court during Peachey's sentencing that her son was later diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after their encounter. She read aloud a Facebook post from Peachey claiming he was innocent despite admitting guilt and claimed he couldn't afford taking the case to trial.

The younger victim, now 17, has moved out of the state, Janci said. The older victim, now 19, attends an out-of-state college. After Peachey was arrested, both teens were mocked by their peers, not properly supported by the school district and have required counseling and psychiatric services, the attorney said.

"They have suffered far beyond the punishment imposed on their perpetrator," Janci said.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey