The family of a former Episcopal School of Dallas student is suing the school for $10 million on allegations that school officials fail to protect her from a teacher's sexual assault and unfairly forced her to leave the school in the wake of the incident.

The teacher who is admitted to having a relationship to the student now faces criminal charges for sexual assault of a child and improper relationship with a student. Sources said the girl was 16-year-old at the time the relationship ended in 2009.

On Tuesday, the chief academic officer at the Episcopal School of Dallas testified that she had told the father of a student who had a sexual relationship with a teacher that his daughter would be expelled if he didn't withdraw her from the school on his own accord.

According to the chief academic officer's testimony on Tuesday, she never intended to expel the girl, but only intended to separate her without putting anything on her academic record. During the meeting, she refused to give the family more time to make a decision, insisting that she was "not allowed to negotiate" under orders from the headmaster, Rev. Stephen Swann.

In regard to warning signs, the chief academic officer admitted that they were present. The teacher who is admitted having a relationship with the girl had apparently written on one of her report cards, "I look forward to more late night emails with in-depth questions."

According to the chief academic officer, the school appropriately handled the situation, since it was in the student's best interest to start over at another school after the scandal.

Testimony in the trial is set to resume Monday.

Source: Dallas Morning News, "Academic officer testifies in family's suit against Episcopal School of Dallas," Diane Jennings, August 9, 2011.