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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW FBI: No toxic substances found so far in suspicious letters sent to Oregon sheriff's offices ... Emergency Services, July 28 ... I-5 crash kills one Medford woman, injures another ... FBI: No toxic substances found so far in suspicious letters sent to Oregon sheriff's offices ... Emergency Services, July 28 ... I-5 crash kills one Medford woman, injures another ... FRUITDALE Former Josephine County students sue school district over alleged abuse Comment By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Mar. 6, 2015 at 8:44 PM By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Mar. 6, 2015 at 8:44 PM » Social News Three former Fruitdale Elementary School students who claim they were molested by a teacher several decades ago have sued the Three Rivers School District in federal court. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland, names the district and teacher Dare Jensen as defendants, and claims the abuse began in 1969 when the plaintiffs were sixth-graders. The suit identifies the plaintiffs only by their initials. It alleges that the victims were in Jensen's class, and that he began "grooming" them in order to gain their trust and later abuse them. According to the suit, he would physically restrain the plaintiffs and touch them inappropriately during school hours. The plaintiffs claim the district was aware that Jensen "had a propensity to engage in unprofessional conduct, sexual misconduct" and other inappropriate behavior toward female students, and that the district failed to protect the victims by hiring Jensen and allowing him to teach. The suit seeks up to $1 million for each violation of the plaintiffs' constitutional rights. The case was filed in Portland for the convenience of the parties involved, who no longer live in Josephine County, according to the suit. Jensen died Dec. 3, 2014, at the age of 84 in Gooding, Idaho. An online death notice states that he was born in Idaho and worked as a teacher and a principal for "several years." Three Rivers School District Superintendent David Holmes said he was aware of the lawsuit but could not comment on it because it is pending litigation. The plaintiffs' lawyer, Medford attorney Thomas Petersen, did not return calls for comment.     By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Mar. 6, 2015 at 8:44 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501