El Monte Union High School District Sued for Sexual Abuse by Former Students

Understandably, the first question many people have for us when they first call is “Am I eligible for a lawsuit if I had a sexually inappropriate relationship with a teacher?”

This is the heartbreaking reality that so many victims go through, even if many years have passed since they were taken advantage of in a sexual manner. Most victims blame themselves for what happened, especially if they enjoyed the attention, at least at first, and didn’t outright say no when the abuser made their move. At places like Rosemead, the culture of child sexual abuse was so toxic, multiple teachers were having sex with the same student, or abusing multiple students at the same time.

It’s a no-brainer to us that the party at fault is the teacher, along with the school system that failed to hold them accountable. But the innocent kids who were used by these individuals may feel ashamed of their actions, and as a result, they may doubt that what happened to them is a form of child abuse. This is why most students do not go to the authorities or tell anyone about what’s going on at the school.

Please know that what happened to you was not your fault, as you were manipulated by a skilled predator. Furthermore, the administrators who were in charge of you allowed these people to pursue and engage in illegal conduct with you instead of taking measures to ensure your safety. This is not just a moral assessment; California law recognizes that children (individuals under 18 years old) cannot legally consent to sexual activity. Thus, any adult that engages in conduct with a minor for sexual gratification is guilty of child sexual abuse.

This is the basis of a criminal prosecution against an abusive staff member at Rosemead High. However, sexual misconduct by a teacher also gives you the right to sue for compensation, like medical expenses, mental anguish, and pain and suffering.

Though you can file a lawsuit against the person that abused you, it’s usually the school district that is sued when teachers engage in sexual relationships with students. And it makes sense if you consider the recent lawsuit filed by three former students at Rosemead High School. The level of neglect and wanton disregard for the emotional and physical well-being of students by the district is absolutely appalling.

In his articles concerning student sexual abuse at the school, Matt Drange detailed how the school district was “sitting on a large cache of teacher disciplinary records going back to at least the early 1990s.” These records involved 20 educators who continually engaged in sexual relationships with students over a period of several decades. Teachers openly flirted with students, made comments about their bodies, and engaged in sexual acts with them with little to no repercussions.

Instead of taking action to protect the students, school administrators were more concerned with preserving their standing in the community, and most likely, their paychecks and benefits. That’s why they repeatedly refused to turn over records when they were confronted by Matt Drange, citing that it would be a violation of the teacher’s privacy.

Thanks to Drange’s efforts, we know that EMUHSD officials deliberately concealed reports of sexual abuse by teachers and instead, moved teachers around from one school to another – a practice referred to as “passing the trash.” Once the teachers left, administrators often threw out or destroyed records of sexual misconduct, which is a violation of California laws. In addition, EMUHSD failed to disclose these allegations to other districts that went on to employ these teachers.

These are some of the most egregious examples of neglect and reckless conduct that we have ever come across when it comes to sexual abuse incidents at a public school. There are more than enough grounds to sue the El Monte Union High School District for child sexual assault and exploitation. For more information on filing a lawsuit for sexual abuse against a California school system, please reach out to a member of our legal team.

Considering the long and disturbing history of enabling sexual predators at Rosemead High, it goes without saying that there are many victims who deserve restitution for what they endured. As of now, 3 women have joined together in a lawsuit, but as more victims come forward, there will be enough members to form a class action lawsuit. In fact, it would not surprise us if there were hundreds of former students that wish to join a legal case against EMUHSD.

But is being part of a sexual abuse class action lawsuit the right choice for you? What are your rights as a class action member if you were sexually harassed or assaulted by a teacher at Rosemead High? What are the steps to joining a class action claim with other students whose cries for help were ignored by district officials?

These are just some of the questions we can explore with you during a free case review. To discuss your rights and legal options with a school sexual abuse class action lawyer, contact our law firm immediately.

Settlements on behalf of child sex abuse victims are almost always 6 to 7 figures, with cases of sexual assault generally having higher values than lawsuits for harassment / exploitation. If the abuse between you and a school teacher, coach, administrator, etc. involved physical acts, like oral sex, intercourse, and sexual fondling, case values may be anywhere from $1,500,00 to $10,000,000, though the vast majority of claims are settled for $5,000,000 or less. If you are a victim of grooming and other forms of sexual exploitation, the amount of damages may be anywhere from $400,000 to $1,000,000. But there are individual circumstances that can enhance the value of your case, no matter how you were abused by a school district employee.

A Rosemead High School sexual misconduct lawyer is here to help you figure out the value of your lawsuit, so please contact us today.   

Generally, lawsuits against public entities, like a school district, take at least 12 months to settle, and up to 24 months depending on the amount of time to negotiate a favorable settlement. If you are part of a class action lawsuit with hundreds of victims, obtaining a settlement or verdict against the El Monte Union High School District can take 2 to 3 years on average.

Though it’s impossible to predict how long it will take to resolve your claim, we can provide you with an estimate time range once we know the details of your case and how the school system failed in its duty of care. Keep in mind, however, that there are many factors that affect how long it takes to reach a settlement, which we can go over with you during a free, private consultation.

If, at the time of the abuse (or when the abuse started), you were at least 18 years of age, you would need to file a lawsuit within 10 years of the most recent incident of assault or exploitation. Anyone younger than 18 is classified as a minor in California, so the deadline to sue the school system can be either of these dates:

• The day you turn 40 years old
• Up to 5 years of realizing a mental or physical health issue due to the trauma of sexual abuse during childhood.

The first rule is easy to understand, as it’s based on a specific number of years (22) after you are legally an adult under California law. But the second rule is more complicated, since it has to do with the discovery or injuries / illness that are not obvious to the victim right away. When a child is being abused by a trusted adult, like a relative or teacher, they do not always realize that these actions are wrong. Even if they do, many of them keep the secret to themselves because they do not want to get their abuser in trouble. As for the ones that are brave enough to complain, they may be ignored or placated with false promises of investigations, punishments for the abuser, etc., only to find out that nothing was done.

These are just some of the reasons that children suppress their feelings of anger, fear, and shame. By continually pushing away the memories, they convince themselves that they have moved on with their lives. In reality, these unresolved feelings fester into psychological or physical conditions that impair the victim’s ability to live a normal life.

Coming to the realization of how they were harmed by a child molester can happen at any point, and many of the clients we represent are older than 40 when the moment of discovery occurs. Thankfully, California’s discovery rule gives you 5 years to file a lawsuit from the discovery date of an injury caused by child sexual assault and abuse.

There’s no denying that figuring out the statute of limitations for sexual abuse is a complicated subject. That’s why our legal team is here to help you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call DTLA Law Group and schedule a free case evaluation if you would like to verify how much time you have for a sexual abuse lawsuit.

The systemic failure to protect students at Rosemead High is not a problem that’s isolated to the El Monte Union High School District. We know from decades of experience that far too many people are living with the scars of sexual abuse by a teacher or someone else they trusted at a school. Our goal is to hold the school district accountable and ensure that you are fairly compensated from a child sexual abuse lawsuit.

A free consultation with one of our lawyers will help you decide if filing a lawsuit is the right choice, based on your personal circumstances. If so, we will take immediate action on your case without charging you a single cent. Our Zero Fee Guarantee is our promise to you that you won’t pay out of pocket to hire one of our attorneys. It’s the school district that pays our expenses, and that only happens if we successfully settle your claim.

Please take a moment to contact our office and speak with a lawyer who can sue the El Monte Union High School District for sexual abuse by their staff members.

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Former Salinas High School Teacher Sentenced for Sexually Abusing 2 Students
Middle School Girl Brutally Attacked at Riverside County School – School Assault and Abuse Attorney
Escondido Union School District Sexual Abuse Lawyer