Holmes High Student Sues Covington Schools, Alleging Officials Ignored Teacher’s Sexual Abuse

A student at Holmes High School has filed a federal lawsuit alleging school officials failed to investigate or act on warning signs after she was sexually abused by a former social studies teacher.

Allegations and Legal Action

The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Covington in September, names former teacher Mason Goins, the Covington Independent School District Board of Education and unnamed school officials. The student, identified in court filings as Jane Doe, says she was 17 at the time of the alleged abuse and is seeking damages for pain and suffering as well as reimbursement for medical and counseling expenses.

Criminal Case and Timeline

Goins, 25, pleaded guilty to sex-crime charges and was sentenced in July to a seven-year prison term. Court records and state educator disciplinary documents describe a "sexually abusive relationship" that began no later than July 2024 and continued until he was confronted about inappropriate messages roughly eight months later. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services received a report of suspected abuse on March 12, 2025.

Evidence Cited in Filings

According to court filings and law enforcement accounts, Covington police obtained Goins' cellphone and recovered Snapchat messages between him and the student, including nude photos and sexually explicit videos. The complaint says Goins communicated with the student for several months and encouraged her to send compromising images.

Holmes High School in Covington, Ky.

During a forensic interview at the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center, the student said she frequently skipped class to spend time alone with Goins in his classroom, where they allegedly engaged in sexual activity. Court filings say the pair spent extended periods together before and after school, during lunch and at other times when there was no legitimate academic reason for the student's visits.

School's Role and Allegations Against the District

The lawsuit contends that the district and school staff either knew or should have known that abuse was taking place on school property and that the student was permitted to be alone with Goins without appropriate supervision. It alleges school officials were aware of information, complaints or observations that should have raised red flags but failed to act or report the suspected abuse to authorities.

Personnel records obtained by The Enquirer through an open-records request reportedly show no grievances or disciplinary actions against Goins during his employment at Holmes High School, despite the lawsuit's claim that warning signs existed.

Responses and Next Steps

A spokeswoman for Covington Independent Schools and the district's attorneys did not respond to an email from The Enquirer. In court filings, the district denies the allegations that it failed to investigate or report Goins' interactions with the student and disputes that officials had knowledge of warning signs.

In a handwritten court filing, Goins asked for a court-appointed representative to protect his interests in the civil case; he did not address the allegations in that letter. The civil case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge David Bunning. As of the latest reporting, no hearing date had been scheduled.

Note: All allegations are drawn from court filings, disciplinary records and reporting. The claims in the civil lawsuit have not been proven in court.