$2,000,000 Settlement for Sexual Misconduct by School Employee in San Joaquin County 

Samer Habbas & Associates Demand Accountability

What happened? A high school band member in San Joaquin County endured sexual abuse by her band instructor who exploited his position of trust. Over the course of 2 school years, the school employee groomed her, ultimately leading to an improper relationship. Despite signs of misconduct and numerous red flags, administrators failed to report or restrict his access to the student, allowing the abuse to continue.

After the truth surfaced, the survivor’s family sought justice through Samer Habbas & Associates. Our firm filed a civil lawsuit against the responsible parties, exposing serious lapses in supervision, hiring, training, and compliance with mandatory reporting obligations.

Upon being served with the lawsuit, the school took a hardline stance that their employee was acting out of the course and scope of his employment and that they had no notice of his conduct. Through early discovery, it was established that an administrator had noticed several red flags but failed to report them as required to do so as an educator. One of the critical pieces of evidence obtained was the body cam footage interview of the school administrator. In that interview, the administrator was asked whether or not he observed anything unusual between the student and the band instructor, and he replied that he saw the student wearing the instructor’s clothing. From there, we obtained several emails between the administrator and instructor that would have caused one to suspect that there was improper relationship with a minor. Despite that ,the school maintained its denial of liability. Knowing that the school was not going to just raise the white flag, we identified several former band members who had since graduated and former band instructors. We went on to take the deposition of over 14 individuals who would go on to corroborate that the administrator had knowledge of the improper relationship and failed to report it to any of his superior or law enforcement.

Through extensive litigation and mediation, our attorneys secured a $2,000,000 settlement, providing financial resources for recovery and holding the institution accountable for its failures.

Fighting for Survivors of Institutional Abuse

This case stands as a powerful reminder that schools and organizations must prioritize the safety of the children in their care. What sadly occurred to our client was preventable. Had an administrator followed their mandatory reporting duties, the abuser would have been stopped in his tracks. When they fail to do so, our firm stands ready to fight for the truth — and for justice.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by institutional negligence or abuse, contact Samer Habbas & Associates at (949) 727-9300 or visit habbaspilaw.com for a confidential consultation.

Get Samer On Your Side — and get the justice you deserve.