Sexual Abuse at Sunset Preschool Leads to Lawsuit Against San Ysidro School District

Jaime Godinez, 23, Teacher’s Aid at Sunset Preschool in San Ysidro, Arrested for Allegedly Sexually Assaulting 4-Year-Old Girl; Samer Habbas & Associates Represents the Family of the Victim

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA (October 4, 2025) – The San Ysidro School District is facing a lawsuit after a 23-year-old teacher’s aide at Sunset School allegedly sexually assaulted a 4-year-old.

San Diego County officials are saying that the sexual assault allegedly took place as the girl was taking a nap during nap time. The assailant, identified as Jaime Godinez, has since been arrested and charged with lewd acts upon a child.

Prior to being arrested, he was placed on administrative leave after a parent came forward. Other parents of students at Sunset Preschool have continued to demand accountability and transparency for what happened.

They want concrete steps to be taken so that similar incidents do not take place. Prior to working at Sunset Preschool, Jaime Godinez also worked at the Smythe Child Development Center.

The scope of the abuse involving the defendant has yet to be fully understood. Some parents said that their kids were scared during nap time. There are also reports that certain children came home with unexplained bruises.

Samer Habbas & Associates is representing the family of the child harmed in this case. Our law firm is investigating all of the allegations against the defendant.

If you are a witness to any of the actions of the defendant or are concerned that your child may have been a victim, we strongly encourage you to give our office a call at 888-848-5084.

Members of the press seeking comment about the lawsuit against the San Ysidro School District are also welcome to reach out.

Liability for San Diego County School Sexual Abuse

Schools have a legal obligation to protect students from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes protecting them from sexual abuse at the hands of school officials and third parties. To that end, schools must adequately supervise all students in their care. Consider, for example, Taylor v. Oakland Scavenger Co., 17 Cal. 2d 594 [110 P.2d 1044], “It is the duty of the school authorities to supervise at all times the conduct of the children on the school grounds and to enforce those rules and regulations necessary to their protection.” Schools may have failed to protect students from sexual abuse in many different ways.

• Not Reporting: School officials may fail to report reasonably suspected instances of child sexual abuse.
• Inadequate Screening: School officials may have failed to conduct proper screening of applicants. In particular, all applicants must undergo criminal background checks. School should also follow through on all references.
• Dismissing Complaints: Schools may fail to properly investigate complaints against any particular teacher. Most instances of abuse are preceded by grooming and other concerning behaviors.
• Insufficient Training: Schools may fail to train teachers to recognize the signs that abuse is taking place. Children who are the victims of sexual abuse often show dramatic shifts in personality.

Sexual abuse in a school setting is often highly preventable. It tends to be the result of systemic failures within any school setting. This can include instances where teachers are allowed to be isolated with individual students. It is also common for schools to properly investigate concerning, though not criminal, actions by some teacher or aide. By the time any teacher or faculty member is arrested for sexual abuse, there were likely many red flags that were missed.

Steps to Take After Child Sexual Abuse in San Diego County

Sexual abuse involving schoolchildren remains alarmingly common across California and the United States. According to the National Education Association, “there were 14,938 incidents of sexual violence in K–12 schools in 2017 – 2018 compared with 9,649 in 2015 – 2016, representing a 55 percent increase.” It is important that certain steps are taken after any instance of sexual abuse in a school setting.

• Immediate Safety: The immediate safety of the child should be the top priority. This includes removing any contact from the alleged perpetrator.
• Evidence Preservation: Evidence related to the abuse should be documented and preserved. This can include electronic records and physical evidence.
• Investigate School Failures: All of the institutional failures that may have contributed to any instance of abuse should be investigated.
• Legal Support: The parents of any child sexually abused by a school official should hire an experienced sexual abuse attorney as soon as possible. An attorney can take numerous steps to preserve evidence and protect your rights.

Sexual abuse is one of the most harmful and destructive experiences that most children will ever go through. Victims of sexual abuse are at an increased risk of many physical and psychological injuries, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Unfortunately, school districts will virtually never accept responsibility when one of their employees harms a child. This is where a personal injury attorney can help.

Investigating San Diego County Child Sexual Abuse

We at Samer Habbas & Associates PC were deeply concerned to hear about the allegations against Jaime Godinez. We intend to pursue all recovery paths for our client and to fully hold the San Ysidro School District accountable for their negligence. It is our sincere hope our actions in this case will bring lasting reform that makes San Diego County safer for all school children.

Has your child attended Sunset Preschool or the Smythe Child Development Center? Are you concerned that they may have been harmed by school faculty? Our team of sexual abuse attorneys is here to support you in any way that we can. We are committed to helping abuse victims understand their rights and holding all liable parties accountable for criminal conduct. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 888-848-5084.