Allegations of Sexual Abuse at a San Jose Catholic High School

A disturbing new website popped up recently that makes exceptionally alarming public accusations. Women across the country are coming forward to tell their stories of sexual abuse that allegedly occurred at a Bay Area high school. These women have gone into great detail about the sexual abuse injuries they suffered as students, with some of the incidents occurring up to three decades ago. What becomes more alarming are the allegations that school staff had knowledge of the situation and failed to act accordingly.

The website, known as “Make Pres Safe,” alleges nearly three decades of sexual misconduct at Presentation High School, a San Jose Catholic school for girls. The site currently holds a dozen detailed accounts from 10 students, a former teacher, and a parent of one student.

The page stemmed from an overwhelming response to an account written by one student, which was published by the Washington Post in 2017. Her story recounts how she was groped, kissed, and shown a pornographic photo by one of her teachers. She went on to explain that she did not remain silent, but even though she went to the school’s principal on two separate occasions, nothing came of it. When she finally went to the police, the statute of limitations, unfortunately, had expired. The teacher in question was able to keep their job until they retired in 2004. This student, along with the best friend of another alleged victim, wanted to provide an outlet for other victims to tell their stories and finally have them heard.

When we send our children to school, we are putting their livelihood into the hands of professional educators. We expect that our kids will receive nothing but the best possible treatment, and, should an incident arise, we hope the school staff will treat the situation as though our children were their own. Unfortunately, that approach is a rare commodity today, and many of our children are made to feel wrong for speaking out for their rights. Teachers and other school staff, regardless of whether they are employed by a public or private institution, owe our students a safe environment in which to learn, including an environment that is free of facility maintenance issues, bullying, and sexual abuse. Failure to uphold reasonable care resulting in injury is the very definition of negligence.

At Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, we are dedicated to working hand-in-hand with investigators to actively research any and all claims of sexual misconduct. If you, your child, or a loved one have suffered sexual abuse injuries at the hands of someone else, contact our legal team immediately at (408) 289-1417 to schedule your complimentary initial consultation.