Two families settle civil case over sexual abuse by former Hilton school principal

HILTON, N.Y. — News10NBC has learned about a settlement in the civil trial against former Hilton school principal Kirk Ashton and the district.

Court documents show that the families of two victims who Ashton sexually abused settled their case. Terms of the settlement were redacted from court documents. We reached out to Hilton schools for comment. They declined.

Ashton was a principal at Northwood Elementary. In November, Ashton was sentenced to 63 years for sexually abusing 21 students over the course of seven years. He will serve 20 of those years in prison.

Some parents said their children have become suicidal due to the abuse. One parent said in a letter to State Supreme Court Justice Alex Renzi that her child’s relationship with his father has been greatly affected, describing how he no longer wants to be touched at all by anyone.

Ashton was found guilty on 46 out of the 50 counts that he faced after a trial that lasted nearly three weeks.