Jury Selection Underway For Kennewick Sexual Abuse Civil Trial

Of the 77 jurors who responded to jury summons Monday, only three were dismissed by the court.

A jury is being selected for a civil trial involving three men who claim the Kennewick School District failed to protect them from being sexually abused by a teacher and coach.

The plaintiffs claim the Kennewick School District administrators and teachers were aware of 81-year-old William B. Pickerel's out-of-town sports trips with male students, but never stopped them or even investigated them.

Pickerel pleaded guilty in 2008 to molestation and sexual misconduct with a minor for molesting five Tri-City boys. He is out of prison after serving five and a half years of a 10-year sentence.