Mary Alexander – School Sexual Abuse Attorney Serving Hayward
School Sexual Abuse Attorney Serving Hayward, California
No student should ever have to put up with sexual abuse. In an ideal world, teachers would be among the most responsible members of our society. In reality, teachers in California frequently use their positions of power and trust to abuse children. While the vast majority of teachers never engage in this kind of conduct, past cases indicate that school sexual abuse is actually quite common in the Bay Area. The guilty teachers are obviously to blame for this misconduct, but school districts should also face accountability for failing to detect it and prevent it from occurring in the first place. To explore legal options in more detail, contact a school sexual abuse attorney serving Hayward, California.
How Does a Hayward School Sexual Abuse Attorney Help Me Find Closure?
Survivors of school sexual abuse often face various challenges known in the legal world as “damages.” These damages can be economic (financial) or non-economic (psychological). A study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2022 found that survivors of sexual abuse often struggle to achieve success in their educational and career journeys. Specifically, sexual abuse increases the likelihood of high school dropouts by up to 41%. Survivors also tend to miss more work due to health challenges (both mental and physical), with up to 19% lower overall earnings during young adulthood.
Hayward school sexual abuse attorneys help victims recover fair compensation to cover these losses. These damages include not only decreased earnings, but also the cost of ongoing treatment for mental and physical health issues. Many non-economic damages are difficult to quantify in dollar terms. How can one put a price on the cost of psychological trauma? Your lawyer’s goal is to help you recover a sum that fairly reflects what you have experienced. Settlements and verdicts for school sexual abuse often reach into the millions of dollars.
Your lawyer can help you achieve your legal goals in various ways. They may investigate the incidents on your behalf, perhaps gathering the “preponderance of evidence” necessary to establish negligence in civil cases. This may include not only evidence against the guilty teacher, but also evidence that the school district failed in its duty of care to hire non-abusive employees.
Has Mary Alexander & Associates Handled School Sexual Abuse Cases in the Past?
Yes. Mary Alexander & Associates has represented survivors of school sexual abuse and other forms of institutional child sexual abuse for decades, helping hold schools, religious organizations, youth programs, and other institutions accountable. The firm’s record includes a $13 million judgment on behalf of a survivor who was sexually abused by a soccer coach, along with numerous other multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements that have helped survivors obtain justice.
More recently, the firm filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against the Berkeley Unified School District on behalf of a former student who alleges she was abused by a school employee, continuing its commitment to holding educational institutions accountable when they fail to protect children. Read more about that case here.
Mary Alexander & Associates also served as counsel for hundreds of survivors in the proposed $395 million settlement with the Archdiocese of San Francisco, one of the largest proposed clergy abuse recoveries in a bankruptcy case. The proposed settlement also includes important child-protection and transparency reforms designed to better safeguard future generations. Learn more about the settlement here.
The firm’s decades of advocacy on behalf of survivors have also earned national recognition. Most recently, founder Mary Alexander was honored by the Daily Journal as one of California’s Top Women Lawyers, recognizing her longstanding commitment to achieving justice for survivors of abuse and other catastrophic injuries. Read the announcement here.
Above all, Mary Alexander & Associates measures success not simply by verdicts or settlement amounts, but by helping survivors reclaim their voices, holding institutions accountable, and creating meaningful change that protects children and future generations.
Do I Have to Go to Court When Filing a School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit in California?
Your lawyer can negotiate on your behalf for a financial settlement. If you accept a financial settlement, you never have to go to court. The entire negotiation process occurs in private, and all of the details remain strictly confidential. If you would prefer not to go through a public trial, discuss your preferences with a lawyer. They can help you protect your identity and your reputation as you navigate this legal process.
The vast majority of civil cases never go to trial. School districts in the Bay Area have provided billions of dollars to victims of sexual abuse, and the majority of these payouts involve private settlements. You do not necessarily have to testify or face public questioning about your experiences. Trials are only necessary under rare circumstances.
Who Will Pay for My School Sexual Abuse Settlement?
Although individual teachers are to blame for sexual abuse, they lack the funds to truly make victims whole. As a result, the school districts bear the financial responsibility of funding settlements and verdicts. They may do this by relying on insurance and risk pool funds, although ultimately the taxpayer funds the settlements. One can only hope that with more tax dollars going toward these settlements, the government will finally take a more active role in preventing school sexual abuse once and for all in California.
How Many People Have Sued Schools in Hayward for Sexual Abuse?
Because many sexual abuse lawsuits end with confidential settlements, it is virtually impossible to determine how many people have sued schools in Hayward for sexual abuse. However, many of these cases were picked up by the media over the years. Since the majority of cases end with financial settlements, the few that have received attention from the media represent the minority.
In 2007, the East Bay Times reported that local police had arrested a former teacher in Haywood on suspicion of having sex with a student. Detectives noted that the actual abuse had occurred seven years prior, in 2000. This individual also managed to campaign for a seat on the Alameda school board before his downfall.
Officials say that this individual had sex with a 15-year-old high school student at Tennyson High School. After this incident, he went on to become an assistant principal at El Camino High School.
In 2013, ABC Eyewitness News reported that a former police officer was facing charges of sexually abusing children in Hayward during his previous career as a school teacher. Officials accused him of abusing various girls between the ages of 12 and 14 while working at an after-school program at a middle school.
Officers said that this individual groomed the girls, gaining their trust before taking advantage of them. The incidents occurred between 1998 and 2007, and detectives say that they included full sexual intercourse.
In 2014, CBS News reported that a former golf teacher in Hayward had been sentenced to 27 years in prison. Not only did he molest his students, but he also planned to kill the survivors while in jail. The defendant ultimately pleaded guilty to murder solicitation, child porn possession, and lewd acts on a minor. He could have faced almost 80 felony charges without a plea deal.
Prosecutors stated that this golf teacher sexually abused three boys between the ages of 12 and 17, with incidents spanning from 2009 to 2012. Although he tried to hire a hitman to kill the witnesses, an informant leaked the plans to a sheriff’s deputy.
In 2024, a Hayward high school teacher was arrested during Operation Broken Heart, a “sting” that helped police capture six men for attempting to exploit minors for sex acts. The 38-year-old was a former teacher at Tennyson High School, and he tried to arrange a meeting with a police officer posing as a 13-year-old.
According to CBS News, this individual even sent pictures of his genitals to the undercover police officer while inside his classroom. Since he was also charged with attempted production of child porn, one would assume he requested explicit photos from the undercover police officer as well.
Unfortunately, school sexual abuse often continues beyond elementary, middle, and high school in Hayward. In 2025, a survivor of high school sexual abuse was once again molested by her professor at a Chiropractic College. According to the San Francisco Standard, the college then ignored her complaints and those of many other female chiropractic students. She ultimately decided to sue.
Have School Sexual Abuse Survivors Had Positive Experiences With Mary Alexander & Associates?
While not all clients prefer to disclose the nature of their cases, many have described positive experiences while working with Mary Alexander & Associates. You can see more reviews here.
Michael Taylor praised the firm’s diligence and professionalism, writing:
“Mary and her staff were diligent and highly professional representing us in a substantial claim. The communication was excellent as she guided us through the process and produced a satisfactory outcome. I highly recommend Mary Alexander.”
Kristy Roos-Taylor described how the firm “worked tirelessly” as they pursued justice on behalf of their child:
“[…]We tragically lost our son when he was hit by a garbage truck and she represented us in our wrongful death lawsuit. She and her team worked tirelessly for a year, and because of her, our case settled in one day. We had thought it would take years for justice to be served, but after one day of mediation, the garbage company settled. We are so very grateful to Mary for all she did for our family. […]”
Contact Mary Alexander, a trusted sexual abuse attorney, for a confidential consultation. You do not have to face this battle alone—Mary is ready to stand by your side and advocate for your rights. Call today to take the first step toward justice and healing.
Contact Mary Alexander & Associates to Continue This Conversation
Whether you’re a concerned parent or an adult trying to find closure, a school sexual abuse lawyer serving Hayward, California, may be able to help. Although the legal system cannot take back what has happened, it can at least provide you with the financial resources you need to face many of the consequences of this misconduct. You deserve compensation for everything you have endured. Contact Mary Alexander & Associates at 866-450-3473 to continue this conversation.
