The civil legal fallout has begun in the case of former high-school teacher Louis J. Levine, who is facing federal criminal charges after police raided his Belle Meade home last April and said he had been videotaping local teenagers engaged in sex acts.
Three minors from a Nashville family, identified only by the pseudonyms John, Jane and George Doe, are the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed Friday against Levine in Davidson County Circuit Court. Their mother, named as Sally Doe, filed on their behalf.
The legal complaint says the youngsters were in Levine's home prior to his arrest and that he provided them with marijuana and alcohol. It states that while they were present, Levine "encouraged and/or allowed sexual activity to take place at various locations in his home" and surreptitiously filmed what was going on, "either for his own prurient reasons or for financial benefit."
Levine's conduct, the lawsuit claims, was "outrageous and offensive to the sensibilities of our society and constitutes the offense of intentional infliction of emotional distress."
The three teens "are unaware of what activity of theirs may have been taped or what happened to the tapes," the filing adds, and have suffered "extreme emotional distress" over the matter.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages of $300,000 per child and punitive damages of $1 million for each alleged victim. Mary A. Parker and Stephen C. Crofford of the Parker & Crofford law firm represent the family.
Levine has remained in jail since his arrest on April 7 at his home, 133 Alton Road.
Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Carran "Carrie" Daughtrey is leading the team prosecuting him for production of child pornography. His criminal defense attorney is Peter J. Strianse of Tune, Entrekin, and White PC.
Levine, 53, taught in Metro Nashville schools as a substitute teacher for several years. He was a high-school science teacher in the Murfreesboro school system prior to his arrest.
Witnesses have told prosecutors they took part in sex- and drug-related activity with Levine during their teen years as long ago as 1977.
In an affidavit filed in Nashville's U.S. District Court at the time of Levine's arrest, an FBI agent said Levine had confirmed the account of a 16-year-old boy who recalled waking two years ago from a drug-induced slumber at the house to find his trousers down and Levine fondling him.
"Society looks at this differently than I do," Levine reportedly stated about the incident.