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A former Crater High School teacher accused of sexually abusing a student faces a lawsuit in federal court that also alleges the Central Point School District knew of the teacher's reportedly inappropriate behavior. The district this month denied the allegations in a reply to the lawsuit filed by the alleged victim in May in U.S. District Court in Medford. The suit seeks damages from Jeffrey Robert Zundel and claims district staff had discussed Zundel's "inappropriate conduct with children" before the victim was abused in 2015. The suit doesn't provide specific incidents as to when Zundel's alleged grooming and sexual abuse occurred but claims the abuses started around Feb. 27 until "May or June" of 2015, and that the abuses included "sexual intercourse, oral copulation, kissing and sexual touching." The lawsuit claims Zundel "groomed" the victim while teaching humanities classes that included photo journalism and "devoted an inordinate amount of time in solo on- and off-campus 'teaching' sessions" with her.  A tort letter addressed to Superintendent Samantha Steele dated Oct. 29, 2015 — a week after Zundel was arrested — claims the district had previous knowledge of inappropriate behavior involving Zundel. The victim was 17 years old at the time, according to her birth date listed on the letter. "Mr. Zundel's course of inappropriate conduct with children is believed to have been the source of discussion by district personnel before Mr. Zundel groomed and subsequently abused Jane Doe," the letter claims. "... It is also believed that Mr. Zundel's inappropriate conduct with children was known by Crater High teaching and administrative staff before and during the time of Mr. Zundel's misconduct with Jane Doe." The lawsuit further states that the school district was negligent by failing to ensure Zundel "maintained appropriate adult boundaries with students" and allowing Zundel to have "one-on-one field trips with female students." The school district, along with Steele and Crater Principal Bob King, formally denied any negligence in a filing dated July 12. The district didn't address Zundel's alleged sexual misconduct, saying officials "lack sufficient information on which to form a belief" while criminal charges are pending. Zundel, married to Medford School District Chief Academic Officer Michelle Zundel, entered not guilty pleas in Jackson County Circuit Court to felony sexual abuse charges involving the victim. Zundel was removed from the classroom in October 2015 and was fired following an internal investigation Dec. 22 for "gross neglect of duty and gross unfitness for duty," according to previous reports.  Zundel's lawyer John Howry further denied any wrongdoing in a formal reply filed June 15. "Defendant Zundel admits that his duties included teaching several classes," the reply says. "Except as specifically admitted, Defendant Zundel denies each and every allegation in plaintiff's complaint." Lawyers for Zundel, the school district and the victim all have asked for a jury trial in the civil lawsuit, district court records show. Evidence-gathering is expected to last until September, and a pre-trial hearing in the civil case is slated for Oct. 10. Zundel's trial in the criminal case is set for the week of Aug. 22 in Jackson County Circuit Court. He faces 11 felony counts of second-degree sexual abuse and a single misdemeanor count of third-degree sexual abuse.  — Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat.