The Cambria Heights School District, in answering a federal civil rights complaint, has denied that it had knowledge of, and ignored, a teacher-student romance that allegedly had a severe impact on the former student.

Using the pseudonym of Jane Doe, the student, in an amended complaint filed recently with the U.S. District Court in Johnstown, related that she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and mental anguish stemming from her multi-year relationship with a district math teacher and coach of the girl’s basketball team, Isaac B. Vescovi.

Vescovi, 30, arrested a year ago, was sentenced in April by Cambria County Judge Tamara Bernstein to a prison sentence of eight months to two years, minus a day, after pleading guilty to having sexual contact with a student.

His confinement is to be followed by five years of probation.

Johnstown attorneys Ronald P. Carnevali Jr., Michael J. Parrish Jr. and Toby D. McIlwain, on behalf of the young victim, filed an amended complaint in mid-September naming Vescovi and the school district as defendants.

It charges that the teacher and the school violated the student’s Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process and equal protection under the constitution, and it accused the school district of having in place a “policy and/or custom” of ignoring reports of sexual violence and assault against female students.

In addition, the lawsuit claims the school district, in its handling of the case, violated Title IX of the education acts, as well as other offenses.

The complaint for instance stated the lawsuit came about due to the “unlawful and outrageous sexual assault” of the minor, not only by Vescovi, but by “the District’s acquiescence, cover-up and subsequent acts of self-preservation.”

Vescovi denied his affair with the teen could be characterized as an “assault,” pointing out all contact between him and the victim “was absolutely consensual by both parties.”

The district denies the allegations as to its acquiescence and cover-up of the relationship.

It also denied the charge that it knew Vescovi had a reputation of unlawful contact with students.

The complaint charged that when the district (including its teachers, principals, superintendent and members of the board of education) learned of the affair, a decision was made not to report the crime but to undertake actions to protect the district and the teacher.

The district in its answer denied the allegations.

The lawsuit also charges that the teacher-student relationship over a period of three years went through several stages, including contact between the two via Snapchat in which the couple exchanged explicit photos and videos.

The relationship grew to the point the teacher and student would meet in Altoona, then at Vescovi’s home and finally in a motel.

The district denied any knowledge of these meetings and stated, “if Vescovi indeed engaged in the conduct as alleged … he did so without the District’s knowledge.”

The complaint indicated that the relationship between the pair was so well-known that the student body voted for the young girl and Vescovi as the “cutest couple for the yearbook.”

The district responded, “It is specifically denied that any member of the student body voted for the plaintiff and Vescovi as the ‘cutest couple’ for the high school yearbook.”

The district took issue with another charge — that a concerned member of the public informed a teacher at Cambria Heights about the relationship.

The school district retorted that the alleged “member of the public” was actually a teacher from another district, noting that teacher herself had a responsibility to report the affair to Pennsylvania’s ChildLine or to law enforcement — which the district implies did not happen.

It is also charged that a Cambria Heights student reported the affair.

The allegations of this paragraph “are specifically denied,” according to the district’s answer.

In its listing of additional defenses, the district emphasized it may have the option of seeking monetary damages from Vescovi.

The district is represented in the lawsuit by attorney Christopher J. Conrad of Camp Hill.

Federal Judge Stephanie L. Haines has been appointed to preside over the case.

In a recent order, she scheduled a case management conference for Oct. 27.