Conejo District Named In Sex Assault Suit
|
By Raul Hernandez The parent of one of the two boys who were allegedly sexually abused by two schoolmates at Meadows Elementary School in Thousand Oaks filed a lawsuit this week against the school district. The lawsuit filed in Ventura County Superior Court on Tuesday alleges that when their son was 9, he was repeatedly bullied, sexually harassed and sexually assaulted by two classmates at school during the 2004-05 school year. Attorney David Ring, who is representing the boy's mother, said on Wednesday that there were 10 to 20 incidents. He said school administrators and teachers knew about the incidents and didn't do anything to stop the two alleged schoolyard bullies from sexually and physically abusing the boy, who was in the fourth grade, and his friend. "Said misconduct occurred out in the open on the playground and sports field, as well as in the boys' restroom," the 11-page lawsuit states. The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages along with legal fees and court costs. The Conejo Valley Unified School District is named as one of the defendants in the lawsuit along with 30 unnamed school officials, teachers and administrators. School district Superintendent Robert Fraisse couldn't be reached for comment. Ring said school teachers and officials were also aware that this schoolyard bully had allegedly sexually and physically abused other students during the 2003-04 school year. School officials, however, decided to handle this matter "informally" during the 2003-04 school year, said Ring. He claims that principal Bradley Miles was told of at least one incident involving the two victims during the 2004-05 school year. Miles faced criminal charges after he was accused of failing to report suspected child sexual/physical abuse of the two students. The charges against Miles were dismissed by Ventura County Superior Court Judge Arturo Gutierrez last month after the District Attorney's Office filed a motion stating that it didn't intend to prosecute the case. Prosecutor Lisa Lyytikainen had said it was unclear whether Miles knew about the alleged sexual abuse. Miles' lawyer, Philip Dunn, said his client was innocent. School officials and administrators did what they were supposed to do in the case involving the two boys, Dunn had said. |
