Wichita ? Five teenage girls contend in a lawsuit that the Haysville school district did nothing in response to complaints that a shop teacher was raping and molesting his students.

Matthew Williamson pleaded guilty in April to rape and other sexual abuse charges and is serving 13 years in prison.

The girls, who were 14 to 16 at the time they were abused, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Sedgwick County District Court contending that Campus High School has “a culture of attempting to cover up inappropriate sexual conduct between students and teachers.”

Sandy Bradshaw, community relations director for the Haysville district, said the district was unaware of the lawsuit.

But Randy Rathbun, the girls’ lawyer, wrote in the lawsuit that the district was given notice in August that the students intended to sue.

The district “totally ignored the claims,” Rathbun wrote in the lawsuit, “and, in fact, has refused to acknowledge that a claim has been made.”

The lawsuit contends, among other things, that Campus Principal Myron Regier discouraged parents of two of the girls from pursuing allegations against Williamson.

Williamson, 26, pleaded guilty to rape, two counts of aggravated indecent liberties, one count of indecent liberties and one count of unlawful sexual relations with a student. It is a felony in Kansas for a teacher to have a sexual relationship with a student who is 17 or younger.