California's attorney general is investigating a school district over its handling of Rosemead High sex abuse claims

• The California lawyer wide is investigating nan El Monte Union High School District successful Southern California.
• The action follows Business Insider's reporting connected a shape of intersexual misconduct astatine 1 territory school, Rosemead High.
• Investigators are looking astatine compliance failures related to "suspected kid abuse, intersexual abuse, assault."

The California lawyer wide is investigating a Southern California schoolhouse territory complete whether it decently handled claims of pedagogue intersexual maltreatment and misconduct, records reviewed by Business Insider show.

BI was nan first to get grounds of a shape of maltreatment astatine Rosemead High, overseen by nan El Monte Union High School District, for a series revealing wide complaints of intersexual misconduct involving much than 20 different educators that persisted from nan 1980s done past year. In respective cases, labor who were alerted to inappropriate relationships betwixt colleagues and students failed to study them to kid protective services contempt being mandated to do truthful nether authorities law.

A archive reviewed by BI shows that nan scope of nan state's investigation includes territory "policies relating to intersexual abuse, assault, and harassment, arsenic good arsenic its compliance pinch laws and regulations concerning mandated reporting of suspected kid abuse, intersexual abuse, assault, harassment, and related hiring and training requirements." Multiple group acquainted pinch nan investigation, whom BI is not naming because they were directed not to talk it, described nan probe arsenic focused successful portion connected whether Rosemead administrators decently handled allegations of pedagogue maltreatment that spanned decades.

Investigating a section schoolhouse territory is simply a uncommon measurement for nan apical rule enforcement agency successful nan state. The only investigation nan lawyer wide has made nationalist related to intersexual maltreatment by educators progressive different Southern California district, Redlands Unified, which concluded earlier this twelvemonth when nan agency found that nan territory had "systemically violated laws successful spot to protect against and reside complaints related to intersexual assault, harassment, and abuse." Redlands agreed to a judgment successful June that subjects nan territory to 5 years of authorities oversight.

People acquainted pinch nan El Monte investigation opportunity it is being led by a section of nan lawyer general's agency called nan Bureau of Children's Justice, which was created successful 2015 while Kamala Harris was lawyer general. A spokesperson for Attorney General Rob Bonta declined to comment.

BI antecedently identified galore instances wherever tips from faculty, students, parents, and organization members led to cursory investigations by Rosemead administrators and territory officials, often concluding with a coach being allowed to return to nan schoolroom — where, records show, fresh maltreatment allegations emerged. In a deposition past year, nan district's caput of quality resources, Robin Torres, said of nan district's investigation of 1 teacher's narration pinch a student, "it appears that location wasn't follow-through." After reviewing territory records related to intersexual harassment complaints from aggregate students astir different teacher, Torres said, "I would person expected to find further accusation connected these allegations."

Those acquainted pinch nan state's investigation said it is successful nan preliminary stages and remains ongoing. District Superintendent Edward Zuniga did not remark connected nan investigation. "The wellness and information of our students is our apical priority," he said by email. "El Monte Union does not tolerate immoderate behaviour that undermines those values, and we return swift and decisive action if we fishy student information is being compromised successful immoderate way."

In an August 21 missive that Zuniga sent to unit and nan district's committee of trustees, he disclosed nan lawyer general's investigation and instructed labor to refrain from discussing nan lawsuit pinch anyone extracurricular nan district. The missive directs unit to sphere immoderate documents "potentially applicable to nan investigation," including memos, emails, voicemails, diaries, matter messages, and gathering minutes.

Four lawsuits and counting

In May, lawyer Michael Carrillo revenge a lawsuit connected behalf of 3 erstwhile Rosemead High students who declare that schoolhouse officials person created a "toxic" civilization connected field wherever "sexual maltreatment by educators is rampant." During a property convention announcing nan suit, Carrillo called connected nan Bureau of Children's Justice and nan US Department of Education to analyse what he described arsenic a "systemic failure" to study kid maltreatment wrong nan district. Carrillo declined to comment.

Three different lawsuits alleging intersexual maltreatment by erstwhile educators person been revenge against nan El Monte territory successful caller months. In preliminary responses, lawyers for nan territory person denied astir of nan claims, while moving to person different claims dismissed connected procedural grounds. In nan first lawsuit revenge by Carrillo, lawyers for nan territory based on that because nan maltreatment allegations progressive 3 different educators, nan claims should beryllium separated; a superior tribunal judge ordered nan plaintiffs to amend their complaint.

In a lawsuit naming nan territory and typical acquisition coach Edwin Reyes-Villegas, a erstwhile Rosemead student identified arsenic a Jane Doe alleges that Reyes-Villegas sexually harassed and molested her erstwhile she was 17. According to the complaint — revenge by lawyers astatine nan Manly, Stewart & Finaldi rule firm, which besides represented 37 plaintiffs who revenge intersexual maltreatment claims against nan Redlands district, resulting successful settlements totaling much than $45 cardinal — nan girl, who has autism, was "especially vulnerable" to maltreatment by Reyes-Villegas. The title says that maltreatment occurred during and aft schoolhouse and included nan speech of "sexually laden communications."

Her attorney, Jenny Louro, said she intends to record subpoenas pinch nan California Commission connected Teacher Credentialing to spot whether nan territory notified authorities authorities aft placing Reyes Villegas connected paid leave a twelvemonth ago. Reyes Villegas did not respond to requests for comment; records show his credential remains intact.

In different lawsuit revenge by nan aforesaid firm, a trio of erstwhile students who trained to subordinate Rosemead High's title wrestling squad sued nan El Monte territory and their erstwhile coach, Herbert Ortiznmonroy. The suit claims that Ortizmonroy many times molested nan boys, 1 of whom joined nan Rosemead team, and that territory administrators grounded to supervise him and enabled "a civilization of intersexual maltreatment and harassment that discouraged reporting." Ortizmonroy, who besides went by Coach Ortiz astatine Rosemead, was sentenced to prison successful 2013 aft he pleaded nary title to charges of oral copulation of a insignificant and committing a lewd enactment connected a child; he remains incarcerated and did not respond to a petition for comment.

An additional case that Carrillo filed successful June connected behalf of 9 different plaintiffs, each Jane Does, alleges that "the improper handling of intersexual abuse, molestation, and harassment allegations was, and is, a systemic issue" successful nan El Monte district.

One erstwhile Rosemead coach named successful nan case, Alex Rai, had his credential revoked complete "misconduct" earlier this year, records show. Rai declined to comment.

Meanwhile, Dominique Boubion, a lawyer who useful pinch Carrillo, told BI that she is preparing to record different suit against nan El Monte territory soon. That would bring nan full number of progressive intersexual maltreatment cases against nan territory to five.

Matt Drange graduated from Rosemead High successful 2007. Contact him securely here.

Representatives of nan California Bureau of Children's Justice tin beryllium reached here.