USN sues teacher fired after sexual harassment allegations

The former University School of Nashville English teacher was fired after a student accused him of grooming and sexually harassing her. Now a lawsuit is being filed by his former employer, claiming he won’t answer questions for its investigation.

The school is asking the court to require Dean Masullo, the former teacher, to cooperate with the investigation that it says he agreed to when he signed a separation agreement with the school in July.

In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Davidson County Chancery Court, the school alleges Masullo committed “several and significant violations of USN’s employment policies.”

The lawsuit also states that Masullo refused to cooperate with an internal investigation due to an “alleged ongoing criminal investigation.” A school spokesperson said the student’s attorney, a school administrator and several faculty members sent letters about Masullo’s behavior to the Nashville district attorney’s office.

No charges had been filed in Davidson County as of Thursday afternoon and Metro Nashville police did not say whether an investigation has been opened.

The private school entered into a separation agreement on July 19 with Masullo, who had been a high school teacher there since 2009, the lawsuit states.

Student accuses teacher of misconduct, says school response hasn’t helped her

In August, an attorney representing the female student who said Masullo groomed and sexually harassed her sent a letter on her behalf to the school’s board of directors. The letter criticized the school’s response to the student’s allegations. The Tennessean is not including the student’s identity in this story because it does not name any victims of sexual harassment.

The letter, obtained by The Tennessean, outlines the allegations against the teacher. It says Masullo developed a close relationship with the student, increasing his emotional and physical advances toward her over the course of several months. It was alleged that he repeatedly found ways to spend time alone with her, holding her hand, pulling her close for long hugs and giving her a lingering kiss on the cheek as he held her tightly. It also said he gave her unwanted gifts and handwritten notes and told her he loved her.

When the teen reported what happened to a counselor and later to school officials, the letter said, they took swift action, including launching an investigation into the allegations. School administrators immediately flew to Delaware to suspend Masullo and take his place on a school trip he was chaperoning.

But afterward, the student and her parents received no updates on the investigation, according to the letter, despite repeated promises from school officials and the school’s attorney to keep them informed.

The University School confirmed that Masullo violated some of its policies and terminated his employment, the lawsuit said. The separation agreement provided Masullo with approximately three months’ wages, or $28,443, and required him to cooperate with the school and its attorneys “with respect to any past, present or future legal or regulatory matter” related to his employment, the lawsuit said.

The school is launching a new investigation, but says Masullo will not participate

Although the student and her family do not plan to sue the school, they said in the letter that they hoped the board would take action and be accountable for the situation.

The letter to the board was dated August 22. About a month later, the lawsuit states, the school hired investigators from the national business law firm Barnes & Thornburg to investigate the allegations against Masullo and the school’s response.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators contacted Masullo on September 28 to schedule an interview. A day later, Masullo’s attorneys sent an email to investigators saying he would not answer any further questions, citing what the lawsuit calls “an alleged ongoing criminal investigation.”

University School says Masullo violated the terms of the separation agreement and is asking the court to order Masullo to cooperate with the investigation and repay the money he received from the separation agreement, as well as attorney fees and interest.

“First, Masullo must comply with his termination agreement and participate in the new investigation,” said a statement from the school sent to The Tennessean on Thursday. “Second, because Masullo violated the terms of his dismissal, he must repay the school the three months’ salary he received and which was paid to prevent him from filing a lawsuit in the future. USN seeks truth and clarity on this painful issue.”

The Tennessean received no response after leaving a voicemail and texting a phone number associated with Masullo.

Board apologizes to the school community and provides updates

The University School of Nashville issued a letter dated September 20 to the school community apologizing for its response to the student’s allegations.

“This year we have not provided the support that everyone who walks through our halls deserves,” reads part of the letter, which calls the student “incredibly brave and courageous” for coming forward.

The letter stated that the school had fired its previous attorney and hired a new one to initiate an independent investigation. It also said it would launch a web page with updates on the investigation.

The Tennessean also obtained a second email from board members to the school community, dated Oct. 9. It explained the lawsuit and said Masullo was paid in part to avoid future lawsuits. It said the investigation would continue with or without Masullo’s involvement.

Alex Little, the attorney representing the student, objected to the school’s payout to Masullo.

“Once the USN board became aware of the payment, they should have informed the school community and fired everyone involved in approving it, which they did not do,” Little said in an emailed statement statement sent to The Tennessean. “Even weeks after our letter, the board appears unable to make firm decisions.”

Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMe A left.

USN sues teacher fired after sexual harassment allegations

Student accuses teacher of misconduct, says school response hasn’t helped her

The school is launching a new investigation, but says Masullo will not participate

Board apologizes to the school community and provides updates

By Sheisoe

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