Sexual Abuse Attorney Serving Richmond, California
A sexual abuse attorney serving Richmond, California may be able to help you and your family achieve justice. While no amount of money can ever reverse what has happened, a civil lawsuit holds schools and districts accountable for failing to protect young students. These districts often play a key contributory role in sex abuse scandals via negligent hiring practices, failing to report incidents, and failing to properly discipline teachers. Is a lawsuit the right choice for you?
How Can a Richmond School Abuse Lawyer Help Me Achieve Justice?
Mary Alexander – Sexual Abuse Attorney Serving Richmond, California
If you have survived sexual abuse at a Richmond school, you may assume that the criminal justice system is responsible for holding the guilty parties accountable. However, this is only partly true. If you take action against the abuser, the school, and the school district in civil court, you may experience greater levels of closure and justice.
The criminal court cannot provide you with compensation for everything you have been through. In contrast, a sex abuse lawsuit can cover your psychological (non-economic) damages, medical bills, lost future income, and much more. An experienced Richmond school sex abuse lawyer can help you pursue maximum compensation and send a strong message to both the abuser and the administrators who allowed the incident(s) to occur.
Your lawyer can help you negotiate for a settlement or guide you through a trial. Although most civil claims end with financial settlements after private negotiations, you also have the right to pursue a public trial if you prefer to “have your day in court.” Whichever option you choose, your lawyer can help you gather evidence, find witnesses, and carry out many other tasks.
Does Mary Alexander & Associates Have Specific Experience With School Sexual Abuse Cases?
Yes, Mary Alexander & Associates has extensive experience specifically with school sexual abuse cases. Over the years, this firm has learned to handle sex abuse cases with considerable sensitivity while also aggressively advocating for the rights of survivors. Lead attorney Mary Alexander has a strong background in medicine and science, giving her the ability to work seamlessly with your psychiatrists and doctors as you recover, pursue justice, and seek compensation.
Mary E. Alexander is also a member of the advisory board of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. Since her admission to the California Bar in 1982, she has handled multiple cases involving school abuse, clergy abuse, sports coach abuse, and many others with adult and child survivors.
What Do I Need to Prove in a School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
The goal in a school sexual abuse lawsuit is to establish negligence. You can do this by showing four elements: Duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and injuries. In all civil lawsuits, the burden of proof is a “preponderance of evidence.” In other words, you only need to show the court that the abuse “more likely than not” occurred.
Various strategies can be helpful when attempting to prove negligence. A common approach is to investigate the circumstances of the abusive teacher’s hiring. Did the school overlook questionable incidents in the teacher’s past? Did they conduct any kind of background check whatsoever? Was the teacher transferred to a new school by the district after a previous sexual controversy at their previous school?
These are the questions your lawyer can attempt to address as they investigate your case and gather evidence. Although the teacher might have been the one who personally carried out the abuse, the school and the district may also have contributed in various, subtle ways.
Has Mary Alexander & Associates Won School Sexual Abuse Lawsuits in the Past?
Yes, Mary Alexander & Associates has obtained compensation on behalf of numerous sex abuse survivors in the past. Mary Alexander personally handled a sex abuse lawsuit against a soccer coach, which led to a $13 million judgment in favor of the survivor. This plaintiff was a young boy when the abuse began. The firm has also recovered multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts on behalf of many other sex abuse survivors throughout the years.
Have Richmond Teachers Faced Sexual Abuse Lawsuits in the Past?
Yes, Richmond has been plagued by school sexual abuse scandals over the years. The wider West Contra Costa Unified School District has also faced many similar incidents. Some of the earliest known cases of child sex abuse were carried out by priests in the 1950s. In 2019, CNN published an article about the experiences of young boys at Don Bosco College.
These boys were groomed and sexually abused by the priests. On at least one occasion, a priest who faced allegations of child abuse was allowed to return to the school, even before his victim had graduated. Not only that, but this specific priest eventually became the principal of the school. Priests continued to abuse boys at the school throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Of course, the victimization of young boys that occurred within this school represents only a small fraction of clergy abuse across the Bay Area and the State of California.
In the year 2000, a sexual assault occurred at Adams Middle School in Richmond. Multiple students were involved, and the incident occurred during class time. It is not clear why the students were able to roam the school grounds freely when they should have been in class, but the school was shut down by the district just a few years later. The victim in this case was a female student, and this appears to have been a “gang rape” of sorts.
In 2009, another gang rape was reported at a Richmond school. This incident occurred at Richmond High School during a homecoming dance. Seven male students lured a female student in a courtyard while others were distracted by the dance in a nearby gymnasium. Of the seven defendants, six were convicted and imprisoned by the court. Two pleaded guilty to lesser charges, while the other four received multi-decade or life sentences.
One of the most disturbing aspects of this incident was the fact that at least “two dozen” people witnessed the rape, but no one bothered to call the police for over two hours. The attack also led to a civil lawsuit against the school. The victim received a settlement of $4 million, and although the school did not have to admit any wrongdoing when providing this settlement, it was obvious that administrators felt responsible.
In 2014, an elementary school teacher at Mira Vista Elementary School was arrested by police for multiple child sex abuse felonies. These included 11 counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, along with two counts of forced oral copulation and one count of assault with intent to commit sodomy. The victims told police that the abuse occurred during overnight camping trips that he led at the school. In 2017, he received a prison sentence of 931 years. Three years later, his 12 victims (who experienced groping, oral rape, and anal rape) received a settlement of almost $11 million from the school.
In 2016, a school police officer in Richmond was placed on leave after he was included in an underage sex scandal. This school officer was allegedly one of 30 other officers who repeatedly had sex with an underage girl, often offering her payment or insider information about planned drug raids. She subsequently received a $1 million settlement from the City of Oakland. Despite texting the minor for at least one meetup and lying to cover up the sex abuse of his fellow officers, the school officer in Richmond was never criminally charged.
In 2022, a Richmond charter school teacher faced 29 charges of lewd acts against minors. The teacher preyed on boys between the ages of 15 and 16, not only molesting them but also sharing graphic sexual images with them. Her trial is pending as of this writing.
Reviews for Mary Alexander & Associates
Mary Alexander & Associates has received many positive reviews in the past:
Karl W. wrote: “Having Mary Alexander & Associates represent us was amazing. They were professional, and they kept us informed with the progress of our case. They did a great job, and I highly recommend them.”
Amy felt that her settlement “far exceeded expectations,” stating: “The settlement she secured far exceeded my expectations, which has made a tremendous difference in my recovery and peace of mind. Her legal briefs were exceptional, demonstrating both her deep knowledge of personal injury law and her commitment to my specific case.”
She also wrote: “They transformed what could have been an unbearable experience into one where I felt supported and valued throughout.”
Learn More About Richmond School Sexual Abuse Lawsuits With Mary Alexander & Associates
If you are ready to take your first steps toward justice, contact a school sexual abuse lawyer serving Richmond, California. Your consultation will be completely confidential, and there is no obligation to move forward with a lawsuit. Although stepping forward as a victim can be difficult, your lawyer will guide you from that point onward. Learn more by reaching out to Mary Alexander & Associates at 866-450-3473.
