The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Former students of teachers accused of sexually molesting them cannot collect from the schools' liability insurers, the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled in two cases Friday.

Otherwise, the effect would be to provide insurance coverage for intentional criminal acts, said a three-judge panel that handled both appeals.

The decisions upheld two rulings from Franklin County Circuit Court. Both cases involved Horace Mann Insurance Co. One case also involved Kentucky School Boards Insurance Trust.

In both cases, victims sought to make insurers pay the judgments they won- $451,000 against Tony Luttrell, a former teacher at Edmonson County High School, and $750,000 against Donald Mullins, who taught at the former Shepherdsville Middle School.

In the case involving Luttrell, Franklin Circuit Judge Roger L. Crittenden said holding the insurer liable "would subsidize sexual abuse of schoolchildren."

On appeal, victims Vicki Wilson and Tammy Price argued that child sexual abuse should be treated, for insurance purposes, like sexual harassment, for which coverage is available.

The Mullins case involved three women - Kim Goodman, Angel Stice and Windy Star Meredith - who sued him for allegedly molesting them as sixth-graders 10 years ago.