NORFOLK — The former student body president of a private Norfolk high school filed a lawsuit this week alleging the institution’s former head of school sexually harassed her when she was a 16-year-old junior.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in Norfolk Circuit Court by Keelin Hogan against Paul Warren, a local attorney who until earlier this year served as the former head of school, provost, chief administrative officer and a teacher at The Hague School.
Hogan, elected student body president during the 2021-22 academic year, graduated in May. The school opened in 2019 and is in a former church building next to the Chrysler Museum of Art. The lawsuit was filed on Hogan’s behalf by Virginia Beach attorney Diane Toscano.
Warren couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday and the academy’s new head of school — Warren’s wife, Jennifer Warren — didn’t respond to a message seeking comment.
The lawsuit alleges that the inappropriate contact began in fall 2021, after Paul Warren asked Hogan to serve as his teaching assistant. The position required her to spend two to three hours with him after school on Tuesdays.
During one of the initial meetings, Warren, then 62, told Hogan he felt they had a “special connection” but she put up an “emotional wall” that prevented her from connecting with people, the lawsuit said. He suggested they share a joint Google document that Hogan could use as a journal to share her thoughts and feelings. Warren said he would offer comments and they could discuss them during their weekly get-togethers.
Warren occasionally talked about Hogan’s appearance during their meetings and message exchanges, calling her “stunning,” the lawsuit said. After a few meetings, Warren began to discuss sexual topics with Hogan, asking whether she was a virgin and if she masturbated, the complaint said.
Warren often put his hand on Hogan’s thigh when he asked such questions, the lawsuit said. He also talked about his own sexual experiences, and encouraged Hogan to read the book “Fifty Shades of Grey,” about a couple who practices sadomasochism, according to the lawsuit. The complaint also alleges Warren hugged Hogan frequently and asked her to call him by his first name.
At the end of a November 2021 meeting, Warren hugged Hogan and leaned in for a kiss, the lawsuit said. Hogan said “no” and quickly left. After that, she began canceling her meetings and avoided being alone with him.
Also around that time, the lawsuit says, Warren reached under a table Hogan was sitting at during class and drew a smiley face on her thigh. He admitted to doing this when confronted by a guidance counselor and Hogan’s father, as well as when he was questioned during a court hearing earlier this year for a protective order Hogan requested.
“Mr. Warren was intentionally grooming Miss Hogan for sexual purposes,” the lawsuit said. “While this grooming activity progressed, Miss Hogan suffered severe emotional distress including depression and anxiety. Due to this distress, Miss Hogan’s grades began to drop, she had emotional outbursts, she no longer had interest in school activities, and no longer maintained organized spaces.”
Hogan’s parents noticed a change in her demeanor and sought counseling for her. During therapy sessions several months later she revealed the inappropriate contact with Warren and it was reported, according to the lawsuit. The school immediately placed Warren on leave and conducted an investigation.
The Hague School’s board voted to fire him in January, the lawsuit said. A written response provided to Hogan in April said the investigation determined “there was a pattern of inappropriate behavior” and that the report she made was “not an isolated incident,” the lawsuit said.
In March, a Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations District judge issued a protective order that requires Warren to stay 50 feet from Hogan, and to have no direct or indirect contact with her.
Hogan is seeking $500,000 in damages.
Jane Harper, [email protected]
