I admit that the line of defense they are using is utterly disgusting. However, I am not convinced about the sincerity of the claim by the plaintiff. The teachers involved were dealt with in 1996 when multiple sexually abused children came forward. This case feels more like an attempt to try and extort money from the school district.
Further, unless the school district was protecting or covering up for the teachers involved they have no direct liability. The very fact that the teacher in question was sentenced to 8 years leads me to believe that they did what they were supposed to do.
Unless there is some more information about this case, I cant help but feel that someone bringing up a 16 year old case against the employers of the person responsible is fishy. Their argument as a defense is still pathetically reprehensible, there are a hundred other ways to defend themselves in this case, but blaming the victim is not one of them.