SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Two defendants in a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a former Springdale schools student have responded to the plaintiff’s amended complaint.

Former principal Joseph Rollins and the Springdale School District submitted the answer to the lawsuit in the Western District of Arkansas federal court in Fayetteville on January 25. As they did in their initial response to the original complaint, the defendants stated that they “deny liability in this matter and deny each and every material allegation of Plaintiff’s amended complaint except as specifically admitted herein.”

Alissa Cawood filed the lawsuit in the Western District of Arkansas Federal Court in Fayetteville on November 1, 2022, specifically stating that it arises from “sexual harassment, sexual assault, and the deprivation of bodily integrity suffered by a young student at the hands of the Defendants.” She amended her filing on January 12.

The reply by the defendants included 25 bullet-pointed responses to Cawood’s suit. One of those asserted that Rollins is entitled to qualified immunity and another said that the complaint failed to state a claim against him. It continued by stating that “the claims of plaintiff fail for lack of causation.”

Cawood seeks damages for multiple reasons, including emotional suffering, mental anguish, humiliation and loss of self-worth, medical expenses, loss of educational benefits and loss of employment opportunities. The filing requested a jury trial.

“There is no causal relation between the acts of Separate Defendants and any injury or damage to Plaintiff,” the defendants’ reply said. The filing asked for Cawood’s lawsuit to be dismissed.

Update: Attorney James M. Graves entered a notice of appearance as counsel for Rollins and the school district on January 27.