Founder and Managing Partner
School is supposed to be a safe, nurturing place for our children. Many parents work hard to ensure their children have access to the best schools that will position their children well for future success in life. Unfortunately, school can also be the source of incredible personal injury harm to our children: sexual assault.
At first, it may seem shocking or even unbelievable that any child could be sexually assaulted at their school. After all, most teachers and school administrators are good people who go above and beyond to care for their students, and our children spend their days under supervision in class or hanging in groups of their friends. Unlike colleges, K-12 school programs are not required to track and report sexual assaults to the federal government, but the state of California does require K-12 schools to report sexual assault and battery incidents. Over a recent four-year period, more than 4,600 such incidents were reported—that’s roughly 1,125 per year.
Sexual assault refers to a broad range of non-consensual sexual conduct inflicted by at least one individual upon another individual. It can include rape, attempted rape, inappropriate touching, sexual harassment, incest, molestation, exhibition behavior, or even voyeurism. Sexual assault can be inflicted upon students by strangers, but it is unfortunately incredibly common at the hands of teachers, supervisors, friends, family members, or even our children’s intimate partners in their older years.
If your child is the victim of school sexual assault, no matter who has committed it against them, your child deserves justice. Criminal charges are sometimes, but not always, involved, due to the difficulty of gathering evidence or meeting certain legal guilt standards. Regardless of whether your child has a successful criminal case, they may have a successful civil case. Your child may be entitled to compensation for any injuries they suffered, medical treatment they received, counseling they may need to cope, as well as damages for emotional pain and suffering. Further, if it can be demonstrated that your child’s school failed to take adequate measures to protect them from the attack, you may be able to sue the school for damages as well.
At J&Y Law, our experienced personal injury attorneys are also compassionate advocates who bring a sensitive approach to sexual assault personal injury cases. Many of our attorneys are also parents, which gives us an appreciation for how difficult these situations are for parents and how important it is that your child receives justice and meaningful compensation that allows them to recover and begin moving forward. Simply put, we will treat you and your family with kindness and respect, and we will be unrelenting and aggressive towards the people or institutions who harmed your child.
There is never an excuse for sexual assault, battery, or other misconduct, especially in a school setting where they are supposed to be the safest. If your child was sexually victimized at school, they deserve justice and compensation for their suffering, and we can help. Contact J&Y Law immediately to learn about your options. Our experienced personal injury attorneys will treat you and your child with the compassion you deserve, and will make sure those accountable are brought to justice through the civil courts.