Peoria Unified faces $650K claim over alleged sexual misconduct by Mr. ORNG

A former Peoria Unified School District student filed a $650,000 notice of claim against the district Wednesday, alleging it failed to protect the student from sexual misconduct by former Peoria High School basketball coach Patrick Batillo.

Batillo, also known as Phoenix Suns superfan Mr. ORNG, was sentenced in April to more than three years in prison after being convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor.

What is a notice of claim?

A notice of claim is a required first step before suing a government agency in Arizona, including a school district.

It lays out the allegations, and the dollar amount the claimant would accept to settle.

The district has 60 days to respond.

What the student claims the Peoria Unified leadership ignored

According to the claim, filed Sept. 28, Battillo posed as a woman named “Jess” on Snapchat and pressured the student, a member of his varsity basketball team, into sending sexual photos and videos for money.

The student eventually figured out the coach was behind the account.

The claim argues the district should have seen it coming.

It says a teammate’s aunt called school officials in March 2024, a month before Battillo was caught, worried that he was too close to players. She said he messaged them on social media, sent them money and took them to NBA games without their parents knowing.

Instead of going to police, the claim says, administrators looked into it themselves.

“This failure to act and willingness to turn a blind eye encapsulates the culture that developed over a decade of negligence at PUSD,” the claim said.

A district spokesperson confirmed Peoria Unified received the claim.

“Board policy sets clear expectations for appropriate staff-student boundaries and communication, and background checks and fingerprint clearance cards are required for all employees and volunteers who supervise children,” the spokesperson said.

Other sexual misconduct cases in Peoria Unified

Peoria Unified is also facing backlash over allegations that former Centennial High School teachers Haley Beck and Angela Burlaka had inappropriate relationships with a male student. Both were fired earlier this year and are under criminal investigation.

Two former students have filed claims this year related to the Beck and Burlaka case.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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