Advocate Kayleigh Kozak Files Explosive Lawsuit Against Liberty Elementary School District for Past Abuse by Soccer Coach
State 48 News has exclusively obtained the bombshell lawsuit continuing Kayleigh Kozak’s fight to close gaps in Arizona’s victims’ rights laws.
Kayleigh Kozak’s story is well-known in Arizona political circles. She is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse from a teacher and coach in the Liberty Elementary School District. Kozak has become a prominent advocate for victims’ rights in the state. In 2020, she discovered her abuser was seeking early termination of his lifetime probation, which would have lifted the legal protections preventing him from contacting her. This situation exposed a gap in the legal system, as existing laws did not ensure continued protection for victims once an offender’s probation ended.
Determined to address this issue, Kozak collaborated with Arizona legislators to draft a new law that would allow victims of sexual offenses to obtain lifetime orders of protection against their abusers, regardless of the offenders’ probation status. This effort resulted in the passage of Senate Bill 1412, known as “Kayleigh’s Law.”
Kayleigh Kozak - Via Linked In
Kozak’s abuse was at the hands of her middle school soccer coach between 2003 and 2005, in Liberty Elementary School District according to court filings. On June 24, 2024, Kozak filed a notice of claim against the District. On November 7, 2024, an amended complaint was filed in Maricopa County.
The complaint alleges Liberty Elementary School District was negligent in providing a “safe environment for its students” and that it “failed to investigate and act on credible allegations of Joshua Jacobsen’s sexual abuse of female students as early as 2002.” The 31-page complaint obtained by State 48 News details alleged prior incidents, subsequent alleged negligence by the school district, and vivid details of Kozak’s case. State 48 News will delve into the details of the lawsuit, statute of limitations issues, and other relevant cases Liberty ESD has faced in future articles.
Yesterday, an audio recording of Liberty Elementary School Board President Bryan Parks was leaked on social media. This conversation is also detailed in the lawsuit. Without his knowledge or consent, Mr. Parks was recorded speaking to a parent whom he considered a friend. Parks told State 48 News, “I was speaking to a friend about her personal case. The entirety of the conversation was not released on social media and has been spliced together in a dishonest manner. At this time, I have no further comment on the matter.”
State 48 News discovered this recording on social media.
This is a developing story we will be following closely. Coming up next we will dive into the details of the bombshell lawsuit.
