Mother Of Teen Girl Taken To Mexico Files Lawsuit Against Kevin Esterly, Charter School
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ALLENTOWN, Pa. (CBS/AP) — The mother of a Pennsylvania 16-year-old girl who police say was taken out of school and to Mexico by a 45-year-old man is suing him and the school, claiming she suffered financial, psychological and emotional harm.
Federal agents found 45-year-old Kevin Esterly and 16-year-old Amy Yu in Playa del Carmen in March. He faces charges including interfering with the custody of a child.
It is alleged that the Esterly took Amy from her school on multiple occasions between November 2017 and February 2018 and to Mexico on March 5, 2018 without the consent of Yu's mother. Authorities located the pair in Mexico on March 17.
Mui Luu's federal lawsuit, filed Monday, seeks unspecified punitive damages. It alleges Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School in Bethlehem violated Luu's constitutional rights to her daughter's safety by allowing Esterly to be listed as Yu's stepfather on an emergency form.
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The suit also alleges Esterly interfered with the custody of her daughter and caused her psychological and reputational damage.
Messages seeking comment from the school and Esterly's lawyer weren't immediately returned.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
