A $250,000 lawsuit accuses Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire of failing to protect an 8-year-old student from alleged grooming and sexual abuse by a physical education teacher and coach.
The suit, filed Aug. 27 in Sedgwick County District Court, names the private school and David Yordy as defendants, according to KAKE. Yordy worked at the school for approximately 19 years, the petition states.
The case brings negligence and negligent hiring, retention, supervision and training claims against the school, along with a battery claim against Yordy. The plaintiffs have demanded a jury trial.
What the lawsuit alleges
The petition accuses Yordy of using his position to isolate the girl repeatedly. He allegedly proposed "playdates" and home visits, proposed to read to her alone in her bedroom and suggested they place a stone over the trap door of her treehouse so that they could have privacy, KWCH reported.
The suit also cites a December 2025 photograph taken during a P.E. class. It allegedly shows Yordy positioning the child on his lap, facing him, with her legs straddling him and her body drawn against his. The petition describes the position as one of overt physical and sexual intimacy that no adult entrusted with the care of an 8-year-old child could permit for any innocent purpose.
The civil suit accuses Yordy of sexually abusing the girl on at least one occasion, according to KWCH. The lawsuit also alleges the school failed to investigate Yordy's conduct toward other children in its care.
School accused of not reporting
The petition says Sunrise administrators and employees were mandatory reporters under Kansas law (K.S.A. § 38-2223). That statute requires teachers and school staff to report suspected child abuse to the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) or to law enforcement.
Despite alleged knowledge of Yordy's conduct, school personnel failed to file a report, the suit claims. The school addressed the matter with the child's family only after other parents learned of the allegations and the possibility of a child-welfare report arose, according to the petition.
On Jan. 6, a Sunrise administrator told the child's mother that DCF had not yet contacted the school about the reports, the filing states.
The child's family reported the matter to the Bel Aire Police Department. The case was referred to the Sedgwick County Exploited and Missing Children's Unit, where the child was interviewed.
Criminal investigation under review
The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wednesday, Sept. 23, that an investigation has been referred to the district attorney's office. The office said they completed an initial review on Aug. 28 and that the case remains under review.
School's response
In a statement shared with families and reported by KWCH, Sunrise Christian Academy acknowledged the lawsuit but declined to discuss specifics, saying the school is working with legal counsel. Dr. Sam Morris, the school's high school principal and associate superintendent, was listed as a contact for families with questions.
No response from Yordy or a legal representative has appeared in public reporting as of Wednesday, Sept. 23.
A scheduling conference in the civil case is set for Oct. 28 at 9 a.m. in courtroom 9-4 at the Sedgwick County Courthouse.
