12 women sue Northern California school, ex-teacher accused of abusing dozens of students
When he was trying to seduce underage students, the humanities teacher at a private California high school developed a pattern, a new lawsuit says: compliment her, gain her trust, isolate her, take it one little step farther each time and hope she succumbs.
One girl said the teacher told her she had the physique to take his martial arts class. That meant meeting him alone in a small, windowless room. He would be shirtless and took any chance he could to touch her or press his genitals against her body, according the lawsuit.
Another girl said the teacher wanted her to paint a portrait of him. When she asked him for a photo, he suggested they get together over the weekend and do it in person.
He asked another to read a novel he had written. The book depicted explicit sex scenes between a man and a woman 20 years his junior
The former students described the grooming and sexual abuse they endured in the lawsuit filed last week against the now-former teacher and the Northern California school they say protected him and covered up his behavior for nearly two decades. The lawsuit, filed Dec. 30 against the Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa, also names another former teacher and two administrators.
In the lawsuit, 11 women say it was clear to them that the humanities teacher wanted to have sex with them when they were students but wanted them to initiate it. When they denied him, by turning away when he came close for a kiss or withdrawing from interactions, he often turned on them, giving them bad grades and shunning them, they said.
Most of the girls' academic careers and goals suffered as a result, with many developing anxiety, depression, eating disorders and other psychological problems, the lawsuit says.
USA TODAY is not naming the teachers because they haven't been charged with a crime. USA TODAY also does not typically name survivors of sexual abuse.
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What does Sonoma Academy say?
The Sonoma Academy, located in Northern California's famed wine country, has an annual tuition of nearly $50,000.
The allegations against Sonoma and the two former teachers first came to light in June 2021, when The Press Democrat published an investigation after speaking to seven graduates who described grooming, sexual harassment and abuse by the humanities teacher between 2007 and 2014.
Within days, head of school Tucker Foehl released a lengthy statement, saying the teacher had been fired in October 2020 after an independent investigation. That investigation was prompted by a letter Foehl received from three graduates expressing concerns about the teacher.
"Based on the findings of the investigation, we concluded that (the teacher) engaged in conduct that violated appropriate boundaries with students who were members of the classes of 2008 through 2014," Foehl said. "His employment was terminated, and he has not been permitted to return to our campus.”
About the allegations that Sonoma protected the teacher and covered up his abuse despite complaints that began in 2007, the school's board of trustees said in a letter to the community that they "fully recognize the misconduct that some members of our community experienced."
The board said the school had established a therapy fund that has helped 28 alumni with reimbursement for past and current therapy and “engaged in a restorative justice process” with former students before some of the women decided to file suit.
“While we regret that we have come to this point in this process, we remain focused on the healing of our impacted alumni and we will continue to support their recovery and healing through the Sonoma Academy therapy fund,” the board said. “We remain undeterred in our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our entire community, as well as resolute in our firm commitment to accountability for our past.”
A timeline of events
2007-2014: A humanities teacher at Sonoma Academy is accused of abusing girls over a seven-year time period. The first complaints about him were reported to school officials in 2007.
Aug. 5, 2020: Just a month after joining Sonoma Academy, new head of school Tucker Foehl receives a letter from three Sonoma Academy alumni expressing concerns about the humanities teacher's conduct when they were students.
October 2020: The humanities teacher is fired after a two-month investigation, which Foehl said found that the teacher had "engaged in conduct that violated appropriate boundaries with students."
June 2021: An investigation about the Sonoma Academy and the abuse allegations is published by The Press Democrat.
Nov. 28, 2021: A law firm hired by the school conducts an independent investigation that found the humanities teacher had acted inappropriately with at least 34 students during his 18 years at Sonoma.
Dec. 1, 2021: One graduate sues Sonoma, the humanities teacher and an administrator, alleging sexual battery and other violations.
Dec. 30, 2022: Twelve female graduates of the school file their lawsuit, which alleges negligence and sexual assault, among other violations.
What the women say
Some of the women who brought the lawsuit said in a statement that the school left them no choice but to file. The women faced a Dec. 31 deadline because that's when California's civil statute of limitations for sexual abuse claims went back into effect.
"This is not what we wanted. For over two years, we sought to avoid litigation," the women said, noting that the school failed to commit to compensating victims. "We are disappointed that it has come to this, but we now believe that litigation is the only way to secure justice and restitution."
The statute of limitations had been put on hold for three years to give survivors the chance to pursue justice. Such windows are becoming more common across the country, and many are arguing for them to be abolished altogether.
The Sonoma graduates' lawsuit, filed by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred, came in just under the wire.
When cases are too old to pursue criminal charges, civil lawsuits allow survivors to get in the driver's seat, Allred previously told USA TODAY.
"Civil actions are extremely important because they are very empowering," she said. "It's very important to be able to have a victim know that she has control. Control is something she lost when she was victimized."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 12 women sue Sonoma Academy in California, ex-teacher accused of abuse
