San Bernardino County Teacher Arrested for Alleged Sexual Abuse of Minor – School Child Sex Abuse Lawyers
Breaking News: a San Bernardino County teacher has been arrested for the alleged sexual abuse of a minor. The suspect was identified as 52-year-old Elvin Vereau by the Redlands Unified School District. Reportedly, Vereau was a temporary Special Academic Instruction teacher at Citrus Valley High School, located at 800 W Pioneer Avenue in Redlands.
According to district officials, the suspect was initially employed by the district as a paraprofessional from 2013 to 2022. He transitioned into a teaching role in the 2022-2023 school year. He started working at Citrus Valley High School in the 2023-2024 school year and has been there since.
After a minor reported being sexually abused, Riverside police began an investigation. On May 13, 2025, Vereau was located by the authorities and taken into custody. According to district officials, they placed the suspect on administrative leave pending further investigation.
In a statement, Superintendent Juan Cabral highlighted that “the safety and well-being of…students” will always remain their “top priority.” Further, he stated that “every employee must pass a series of background checks, including a Department of Justice check, prior to starting to work” with the district and with their students. He stressed that the district “appreciate the swift action taken by the Riverside Police Department and are committed to ensuring that any student who may have been affected receives the support and services they need.”
No other details surrounding the alleged abuse or the suspect’s connection to alleged victims were released.
Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Riverside Police Department.
Unfortunately, minor abuse at the hands of teachers and other school staff is very common in Southern California school districts. If you or your child suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a teacher or another school staff, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible. Our experts are more than ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to fight for your rights and pursue a claim.
Here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group, we have experience handling child sex abuse claims and are fully committed to ensuring that victims and their families get justice. If you are ready to discuss the legal options available to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team today!
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Sexual abuse refers to any unwanted sexual contact, which can include rape, attempted rape, sodomy, penetration with fingers, penetration with objects, forced kissing, groping, oral sex, forcing the victim to perform or participate in any sexual activities, forcing the victim to pose for sexually explicit photos or videos, and more. When the victim is a minor, the sexual abuse automatically becomes child sex abuse – because a minor can never consent to any sexual contact. Child sex abuse often occurs at the hands of trusted adults, including but not limited to teachers, counselors, teacher assistants, special education instructors, and more. Without a doubt, child sex abuse can have devastating consequences for victims and their families.
Extensive Harm Resulting from Child Sex AbuseSurvivors of child sex abuse may be left with extensive physical and psychological injuries related to the abuse that they experienced. Examples of possible harm may include the following:
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Injuries to genitals, including cuts and lacerations
- Injuries to reproductive organs
- Fractures, lacerations, scrapes, and bruises – specifically related to the use of force or the victim trying to get away
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Panic
- Increased risk of self-harm
- Increased risk of substance abuse
- And more
It is also important to note that the aftermath of child sex abuse can affect every aspect of a survivor’s life, including but not limited to forming and maintaining relationships (with friends, partners, family, coworkers, etc.), the ability to hold a job, and more. These effects may last the rest of their lives.
Can I File a Lawsuit for Sexual Abuse of a Minor?Yes, you could have the right to file a lawsuit if you or your child suffered sexual abuse. In general, anyone who was sexually abused could pursue a claim. When the attacker is a school teacher or another school staff – and the victim is a student – the school district could actually be liable and could be sued; the school district could be held accountable no matter whether the incident occurred on campus or off campus. This is based on the duty that school districts have to keep their students safe. When hiring staff, school districts must subject all employees to background checks. Once hired, the district must perform routine background checks on employees. In addition, the school district has the duty to properly train and supervise their workers. They must also have the appropriate policies and procedures in place to deal with reports of sexual misconduct.
What if the victim was not a student at the district? If the victim was someone with no relation to the school district, then the school district will not be liable. However, the district could face liability for any future incidents affecting students – especially if they were aware of the allegations or charges but failed to remove the employee from the job.
For more information about liability for child sexual abuse and your right to file a lawsuit, do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible.
Can I Recover Compensation?Yes, you could be entitled to receive compensation if you file a child sex abuse lawsuit. Some of the different categories of compensation available for recovery could include the following:
- Medical expenses: for all medical costs associated with treatment, including medications, surgeries, therapy, and more.
- Lost income: as reimbursement for all income lost (including income that a parent lost to stay home to care for an injured minor).
- Pain and suffering: for the mental and emotional distress resulting from the incident, including anxiety, panic, fear, post-traumatic stress depression, and more. Also referred to as psychological damages.
- Punitive damages: awarded as a form of punishment towards the defendant in cases of gross negligence.
- Treble damages: awarded when the incident was covered up or was part of a cover up attempt. When treble damages are awarded, the total compensation award could be tripled.
- Legal fees: to cover all costs associated with pursuing a claim, including attorney’s fees, filing fees, court fees, etc.
Our team is fully dedicated to getting survivors of child sexual abuse the maximum recovery available for their claims. Whether our team has to negotiate a settlement or take these claims to trial to reach a verdict, we remain committed to ensuring that our clients are awarded the highest payout available for their claims. Contact us today to learn more about the possible value of your claim and what you could recover.
All claims are subject to a statute of limitations or a deadline to sue. When claimants fail to file their claims on time, they can lose their right to file a civil lawsuit entirely. So, how long do you have to file your claim? In California, victims that were minors at the time of the sexual abuse, have until the age of 40 or 5 years from the discovery of the harm caused by the abuse to file their claims. Of course, parents of victims may pursue a claim at any time before the victim turns 18-years-old. In cases involving a school district, however, shorter deadlines may apply (as short as 6 months) since a government claim must be filed. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the total length of time that you have to file your claim, contact us today!
Contact Our Law Firm TodayIf you or your child suffered child sex abuse, you could have the right to file a lawsuit. You could also be entitled to receive compensation. If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you and your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible. Our child sex abuse lawyers are more than ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to fight for justice.
Free Case Evaluations: our team is committed to remaining as accessible as possible, so we offer free case reviews. These include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our expert legal team will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and ensure that you have access to absolutely all the information that you need to begin or continue your claim. To schedule a free case review, contact us today.
Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. You can reach out to our team without having to worry about paying expensive costs. In addition, our team works on a strict contingency structure; therefore, you will actually not be required to pay any legal costs if your lawsuit is not successful. If you do not win, you will not pay anything at all.
If you are ready to explore the options available to you and your family due to child sex abuse, do not hesitate to contact our team as soon as possible.
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