Two former Chula Vista High School students publicly shared their accounts of sexual abuse inflicted by a former teacher, and are filing a lawsuit and complaints against the Sweetwater Union High School District, along with two of its top administrators for negligent supervision.
An investigation on the former teacher was launched in 2017 by the SUHSD. A copy of the SUHSD's investigation stated the teacher’s conduct was “sexual in nature” and “both pervasive and severe” which “created a hostile and intimidating environment for the three complainants.”
Representing two of the three alleged victims, attorney Jessica Pride said the allegations were reported to the principal and vice-principal of the school at the start of the investigation.
The former teacher denied the allegations in an interview with the district’s investigator. The Chula Vista Police Department investigated the case. Their investigation was submitted to the San Diego County District Attorney’s office in early 2017.
The District Attorney's office declined to file charges in April of 2017.
“ As you may be aware, when we decline to file criminal charges, it is because we do not believe we can prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt or overcome other legal hurdles—which is our ethical standard for criminal prosecution, and one that understandably is higher than the civil standard of 'preponderance of evidence,” The District Attorney’s office said in a statement.
According to the statement, two additional reviews of the evidence were conducted by the DA's office but remained unable to file criminal charges.
The lawsuit filed against the SUHSD and top administrators cites a resignation deal with the former teacher who resigned after he received paid leave for the remainder of the 2017 to 2018 school year.
The district filed paperwork denying allegations made by the two women. A district spokesperson wrote in a statement that the district disagrees it took inappropriate action when it entered into an agreement to accept the employee's resignation.
According to the district spokesperson, both law enforcement and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing were notified of the allegations against the employee.
“Neither entity determined that the allegations were sufficient to warrant adverse action," the district spokesperson said.
After resigning from the SUHSD, the former teacher continued to work at the El Cajon-based Christian Youth Theater (CYT), a nonprofit educational organization with chapters nationwide, as an educator. Last year, dozens of former CYT students alleged sex abuse and discrimination, leading to the prosecution of Brand Christian Davis,40, and David Franklin Hott, 34 who both face felony charges.
The former teacher reportedly worked at Lakeside Middle School. No further information regarding the former teacher’s identity or his current employment status has been released.
