Fresno Music Teacher Goes Down on Bad Note

By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

Can I sue a music school if its teacher molested my child?
For parents, the safety of their children is the most important thing of all. Despite careful research and alleged safety measures in place, one set of parents made a choice that unwittingly placed their 11-year-old daughter in a position to be a sexual assault victim at the hands of a piano teacher.

A personal injury lawsuit against the teacher and music school alleges that the girl “was sexually assaulted against her will” by the teacher inside the music school due to the “negligent supervision of [the teacher]”.

Further, the suit alleges fraud on behalf of the music school due to posted signs indicating that “all activities are recorded on video and/or audio device to aid in the prosecution of any crime committed against this facility”–when it turns out that the cameras the parents relied on to ensure their daughter’s safety were allegedly not working at all. The parents claim that working recording devices may have deterred the teacher or at least enabled his alleged “grooming” activities toward the victim to be discovered and the assault prevented.

The music teacher was reportedly “sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading no contest to six felony counts of lewd acts with two girls under the age of 14”.

In a personal injury lawsuit, a victim suffers harm due to the negligent, reckless, or intentional actions or failure to act of another person or entity. If liability is established, compensatory damages for the victim’s physical and psychological pain may be awarded. In some cases, punitive damages– designed to punish the defendant as an incentive never to let another similar injury occur again–may also be awarded.

If you or a loved one has been sexually assaulted or otherwise injured as a result of someone else’s negligent or intentional actions, the J&Y Law Firm can help. Contact us today for a free consultation. While we can’t take away your pain, we can fight to get you compensation to relieve the financial burden, so you can focus on healing. With a headquarters in Los Angeles and 21 offices throughout the state, caring and experienced legal help is close by

About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.