Former Tahquitz High School Official Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Abuse
Former Hemet high school official Erin Henton recently pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a minor against three boys between 16 and 17 years old. The incidents occurred while she was an assistant principal at Tahquitz High School. According to the terms of her plea deal, Henton was placed on probation and banned from taking any jobs that involve the supervision of minors. She was also ordered to attend Sex Addicts Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, and to register as a sex offender.
The investigation on Henton began in March 2024 after one of the victim’s parents found about a sexual relationship between their son and the school official. Among the evidence found by police were naked photos and videos on cell phones, which were exchanged between Henton and the teenagers.
Some may argue that Henton got off easy for what she did, and we would agree with that assessment. We also believe that there are more victims out there, who were sexually abused by Erin Henton. If you or someone you know was taken advantage of by this predatory individual, you may have grounds to sue the Hemet Unified School District for sexual abuse. Contact us to learn more about your rights, including how to file a Tahquitz High School Ms. Henton sexual abuse claim.
$1.93 Million
$2,287,495
$54 Million
$22 Million
$600,000
$965,000
Assaulted By Employee
$1,964,400
$1,975,000
If there was negligence by school administrators in regards to sexual abuse by a district employee, then yes, you can sue the Hemet Unified School District for sexual misconduct by Ms. Henton, former assistant principal at Tahquitz High School. So far, we are only aware of sexually explicit photos being shared by Hemet and her victims, but there are likely to be other incidents that fall under the definition of child sexual abuse.
District officials often plead ignorance of these issues when a teacher is arrested for sexually assaulting or abusing a student. But if you dig deeper, you often find that schools in the district are plagued by a culture of student sexual exploitation. Even if the problem is isolated to one staff member, it’s more than likely that there were complaints or suspicious behavior that administrators should have noticed. They actually do in most cases, but they choose to ignore the signs and neglect their duty of care to the students. Some school officials even conceal or destroy evidence of sexual abuse in order to protect he staff member or the school’s reputation.
If they do take action, it’s usually in the form of transferring the offender to another school or helping them find a job in another district. That means a whole new set of students are at the mercy of a predator, while the abuser gets way with committing crimes against children. This is why for every one student that files a complaint, there are likely to be others who were preyed upon by the same teacher or school official.
Proving a case of school district liability for student sexual abuse is incredibly challenging, but it’s possible with a team of experienced lawyers by your side. The child sex abuse lawyers of DTLA Law Group are ready to fight for you and the compensation you deserve, so contact us today.
Statute of Limitations to Sue for Sexual Abuse of a MinorVictims have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit for sexual abuse prior to the age of 18. However, there is no set deadline for a child sexual assault lawsuit in California, as it can be based on either of these circumstances:
- 22 years after the victim turns 18, which is the age of adulthood in California.
- 5 years starting from when there is a discovery of injuries caused by child sexual abuse
The discovery of injuries refers to either bodily harm or mental health conditions that the victim develops due to the emotional trauma of being sexually abused. The realization of how they were harmed does not happen right away for many victims, depending on how young they are, if they told anyone about the abuse, and many other factors. That’s why it’s absolutely possible for someone to be older than 40 (22 years from their 18th birthday) when they realize the mental health or physical issues they have are directly linked to sexual abuse from the past.
Whenever you reach the point of discovery, you have 5 years to initiate a claim for sexual abuse by Erin Henton or any other employee of the Hemet Unified School District. However, you will need a skilled lawyer to help you prove that the discovery of abuse-related injuries did not occur until you were past the statute of limitations. Our team of sex abuse lawsuit attorneys can help you with these and many other issues pertaining to your rights, so please schedule a free consultation by contacting our office.
Thankfully, California is one of the most progressive states when it comes to victim’s rights for sexual abuse during childhood. Thanks to changes in the laws for child abuse incidents, many people who were previously denied justice can now come forward and seek compensation under the law. We are with you every step of the way, so please reach out to us at your earliest convenience.
If you choose to retain our law firm, you pay $0 for the entire duration of your case. The Zero Fee Guarantee is a contingency based program, where we only get paid by recovering your settlement. If you don’t receive compensation from a lawsuit for sexual abuse by Erin Henton, you owe us $0 in legal fees.
We are here to listen and help, so please take a moment to contact us and learn about your rights from a school sexual abuse lawyer.
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