CORNING, NY (WENY) -- On Wednesday, September 25th, the Corning-Painted Post School Board of Education voted to approve three separate settlements for former students who were allegedly sexually abused. The victims alleged the abuse happened while they were C-PP students between 35 and 50 years ago.

The suits were filed when New York State opened a two-year window for sexual abuse survivors to file civil suits, long after the statute of limitations had expired.

WENY will not be naming the victims, or the accused.

According to a criminal complaint filed in 2021, victim number one alleges he was sexually abused when he was about 14 years old at C-PP West High School, starting in 1979. He said his abuser was a janitor at the school.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim would work out after school and before football practice. He said the janitor offered to help him access the gym, where he allegedly sexually abused and assaulted the victim 10 times over two school years. The victim also claims the school knew about the abuse but did nothing.

Victim number two said they were abused by their fifth-grade teacher, starting in the early 1970's. The criminal complaint alleged this was the victim's first male teacher who was friendly and pleasant, would crouch down to his students' eye level when speaking to them, and praised the victim's strength in math.

It also said the alleged abuser was friendly and would often call on him to answer questions. The court document said things started to change when the teacher asked the victim to stay after school to help another student with their math homework. The victim alleges things escalated into physical sexual abuse both in and outside of the classroom for about two years. The criminal complaint also alleges one day after school, the teacher led the victim to a storage closet and engaged in sexual abuse, only to have a janitor see them leaving the closet.

The victim said in 1989, nearly 20 years after the alleged abuse happened, the victim met with the then Assistant School Superintendent and disclosed the alleged abuse. The victim said the Assistant School Superintendent said he would 'look into it', talk to the accused, and get back to the victim, but did not mention  contacting the police. The lawsuit also alleges the school knew about the abuse and did nothing to help.

The third victim alleges they were sexually abused when they were 13 years old. At the time, they were a student at the now-former Corning Free Academy in 1989. The alleged abuser was a teacher at the school who was accused of pinning the student against a wall and sexually assaulting her. The lawsuit claims the school knew about the abuse but did nothing.

After the BOE voted to approve the settlements, asked the C-PP Superintendent for comment.

"Out of respect for those who are involved in these cases whether they were 35-50 years ago or not, the District has no comment at this time," said Superintendent Michelle Caulfield.

The School's Board of Education approved the first settlement for $225,000, and the district will contribute $12,500. The rest will be paid by insurance. The second settlement is for $105,000, where $70,000 was paid by the district. The rest is to be paid by other sources. The third and final settlement is for $90,000.