Johnson County school, ex-teacher face five lawsuits for filming students changing

An ex-Johnson County choir teacher who pleaded guilty in December to secretly filming students changing is now facing five separate lawsuits from alleged victims.

Joseph Heidesch, 46, along with his former employer, St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, was sued by a fifth student who claims she was videotaped changing in his office for choir practice.

Heidesch was employed at the school for 22 years.

At his plea hearing, the teacher admitted to 24 counts of privacy invasion and one count of possession of sexually explicit material of a juvenile. He is awaiting his April sentencing while out on bond.

Authorities found hundreds of videos made between August 2016 and October 2021 and identified 25 victims in various states of undress, including some who were nude. The recordings were kept on a hard drive and organized in files corresponding with the victims’ names, according to documents filed in Johnson County District Court.

The most recent lawsuit, filed Friday, states the plaintiff is unaware whether Heidesch has made the images or videos of her available on the internet, as he’s believed to have done with others. The student is suing on multiple counts, including violation of privacy against Heidesch and negligence against the school.

Previous victims alleged Heidesch made the girls change under the guise of trying out new sizes, even when they objected or expressed satisfaction with their outfits.

Like the other lawsuits, the victim claims school personnel were aware Heidesch made the girls change in his office and communicated with them directly from his cell phone.

Such behavior is characteristic of grooming, according to the lawsuit.

The plaintiff is requesting a trial by jury. Each of the previous suits against the school and Heidesch are pending.

A case management conference for a lawsuit filed in October is scheduled for Feb. 22.

The school could not be immediately reached for comment Saturday.