LAUSD Administrators Sued for Covering Up Sex Crimes by Science Teacher
LAUSD Administrators Sued for Covering Up Sex Crimes by Science Teacher
Two Los Angeles Unified School District administrators who were convicted of criminal charges for failing to report sex crimes by a science teacher are being sued by a former student who was victimized in the assaults. Jesus Angulo and Maria Sotomayor, who formerly served as principal and assistant principal, respectively, of South East High School, were allowed to return to work and were promoted within the district despite their convictions.
Former Student Sues LAUSD Administrators for Failing to Report Sex Crimes
Two Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) administrators are being sued by a former student for their role in covering up sex crimes committed by a science teacher. Jesus Angulo and Maria Sotomayor, who previously served as principal and assistant principal at South East High School, were previously convicted of violating the state's mandatory reporting law after failing to report that a 17-year-old student had informed them she had been sexually abused. Despite heavy criticism and their convictions, both administrators were allowed to return to work and were eventually promoted within LAUSD.
The former student, now 32, was molested, abused, and raped by forensic science teacher Jesus Salvador Saenz in 2007. When she reported the crimes to Angulo and Sotomayor, the administrators allegedly "kept her trapped in an administrative office, pressured her to recant her story, by telling her she would be in trouble for reporting the crime and threatening her," according to the lawsuit. The administrators are accused of failing to fulfill their legal duties to protect the student and of "victim shaming" and organizing a cover-up of the child sexual abuse.
"This case represents the most glaring example of victim shaming and the organized cover-up of child sexual abuse," said the victim's attorney. "Not only were the administrators who committed these crimes retained by LAUSD, they were promoted! That tells parents everything they need to know about LAUSD's abject failure to protect students from sexual predators."
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Seven months after the student made the report to Angulo and Sotomayor, Saenz was prosecuted and convicted of unlawful sex with a minor. The administrators were then charged with failing to report the crimes.
The victim's allegations of abuse were eventually brought to the attention of sex crimes investigators by an LAUSD school police officer, who claims he was given "freeway therapy" and transferred to a location far from his home by the district after exposing the actions of the principal and assistant principal. According to the lawsuit, the officer was transferred the day that Angulo and Sotomayor were allowed to return to the campus in 2008.
The victim alleges that LAUSD punished her for reporting her abuse by putting her on a home school program, giving her a diploma, and disinviting her from walking in graduation. The victim is now 32 years old.
Los Angeles Unified has paid out nearly $400 million in sexual abuse verdicts and settlements in recent decades. In October, the district paid $52 million to settle a lawsuit by victims of wrestling coach Terry Gillard, who is currently serving 71 years in prison for sexual abuse at a local Boys & Girls Club and at John H. Francis Polytechnic High in Sun Valley.
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If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse or misconduct in a school setting, it is important to seek legal guidance and support. EducationLawyers.com can connect you with experienced attorneys who can help you understand your options and advocate for your rights.