Kentucky students walk out of class amid new sexual misconduct allegations
Students walked out of Rowan County High School in protest Tuesday after court filings revealed a new round of sexual misconduct allegations against the school’s former girls soccer coach.
Students called for the resignation of principal Jordan Mann after he was accused in court filings, made public last week, of failing to act on multiple complaints about the conduct of former girls soccer coach Andrew Zaheri.
Video of the walkout, posted on social media, showed students chanting “No more Mann!”
Zaheri’s case dates to May 2023, when he was charged with rape, sodomy and child pornography involving students. Zaheri was also sued in civil court, where an alleged victim claimed Mann, the principal, allowed Zaheri’s abuse to continue.
Rowan County Superintendent Michael Rowe said in a statement Tuesday that students had participated in a peaceful walkout to express their views on an important issue.
“We respect our students’ right to free speech and civic engagement, and we recognize their desire to make their voices heard,” Rowe said in an email. “As a nation and a school community, we take pride in upholding the values of free expression and civil discourse. We are committed to supporting our students as they learn to engage with the world around them in thoughtful and constructive ways.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how long the protest lasted.
New allegations
In a December 2024 civil suit deposition, made public April 22, a student testified Zaheri and a student came out of a locker room “sweaty as can be” with layers of clothes shed, more than two years ago.
The witness testified Zaheri put flowers on a girl’s car after practice and held hands with students out in public.
The student and a friend reported their concerns to Rob Ginter, the school’s vice principal, who said he would “take care of it,” according to the transcript.
“You know, (Ginter) didn’t seem super-enthused,” the transcript reads. “He was just kind of there. We told him what we saw, what we’ve heard, and we told him that we do believe that there is something sexual going on there.”
The witness testified she also went to Mann weeks later with her concerns, and Mann “didn’t have much to say.”
Another exhibit filed last week shows text exchanges between Mann and Zaheri where they refer to sex toys and a “smash list” during a professional development training in August 2022.
“You have quite the smash list in this room,” Mann wrote — a reference to desires for casual sex.
The lawsuit against Rowan County coach
Jane Doe filed the lawsuit in Rowan Circuit Court in May 2023 against the Rowan County Board of Education, Mann and John Maxey, the former superintendent of the district. Maxey resigned in late 2023.
Also named in the suit was Zaheri, the former coach and teacher, who was indicted on more than 23 felony counts of sexually abusing a student. Those charged included multiple counts of rape, sodomy and promoting a sexual performance of a minor.
The Lexington Herald-Leader does not typically identify victims of sexual abuse.
Zehari was charged in both federal and state court. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison in federal court for a sex abuse charge involving a minor, and he was sentenced last year to five years on state charges including third-degree rape and sodomy.
The lawsuit alleges Mann and Maxey had received several reports about Zaheri’s behavior toward Jane Doe but failed to fully investigate them or notify Jane Doe’s parents. A high school guidance counselor eventually notified authorities, which led to Zaheri’s arrest.
In a joint statement from attorneys representing the victim of the civil suit, they said the Rowan County Board of Education continues to fail children like their client.
“The board’s continued refusal to publicly address the situation, let alone correct it, speaks volumes as to the current leadership of the Rowan County Board of Education,” a press release from Sam Aguiar and Minner Vines Injury firms read.
The attorneys also shared concern regarding Rowe’s statement issued Tuesday about the protest, noting it failed to “address the issues that prompted their actions.”
The apparent unwillingness to engage with the legitimate safety concerns of students continues a troubling pattern of administrative avoidance,” they said.
The lawsuit is pending in Rowan County Circuit Court.
Staff writer Valarie Honeycutt Spears contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 2:58 PM.
