BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A lawsuit against the Fairfax School District involving allegations of sexual abuse by a former vice principal has been settled, bringing a measure of closure to a case that dates back nearly two decades.
The legal action was brought by attorney Daniel Rodriguez on behalf of a girl who was 11 years old at the time of the alleged abuse in 2006.
According to Rodriguez, the abuse was carried out by Donald Ricketts, who was then a teacher at Fairfax Middle School. The lawsuit claims that multiple female students reported inappropriate conduct by Ricketts to school officials, but those complaints were not acted upon.
Rodriguez said that instead of reporting the allegations to law enforcement, school administrators promoted Ricketts.
He was first elevated to lead teacher for sixth grade students and later became vice principal, reportedly receiving a letter of recommendation during that time.
Ricketts had a prior background in law enforcement as a former Arvin police officer before joining the Fairfax School District in 2003. In addition to his role at the school, he also held a leadership position at Assembly of God Church, where some of the alleged abuse is said to have occurred.
The lawsuit named both the school district and the church as defendants. On Monday afternoon, the case was settled in court, with the Fairfax School District agreeing to pay $5 million to the victim. The portion of the settlement to be paid by Assembly of God Church was not disclosed publicly.
Rodriguez emphasized that the case might have been prevented if earlier complaints had been properly addressed by school administrators. He also noted that settling the case out of court was in the best interest of his client, as it spared her from having to relive the trauma during a trial.
In 2013, Ricketts pleaded no contest to charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Attorneys representing both the Fairfax School District and Assembly of God Church declined to comment on the settlement.
The case underscores ongoing concerns about how institutions respond to allegations of abuse and the long-term impact such cases have on victims.
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