BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — At Foothill High School, an employee is accused of sexually assaulting a student, raising renewed concerns about how schools work to prevent abuse.
Now the student's family is taking the first step in filing a lawsuit against the Kern High School District.
Attorneys Alexis Paredez and Daniel Rodriguez with Rodriguez and Associates held a press conference, citing what they describe as ongoing failures within the Kern High School District to protect students from sexual predators.
Daniel Rodriguez said, "There's a requirement to send children to school from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Because of that, schools have an affirmative duty to protect students."
Parents call them and say their daughters saw inappropriate behavior in classrooms, and that teachers ignored it.
According to Kern County Superior Court records, 33 year-old Christopher Ramirez was arrested in June. He was booked on five felony charges, including forcible rape of a 14 year old student. ''
Investigators say Ramirez admitted that during school hours, he and the student would perform sex acts, with Ramirez allegedly admitting to falling in love with the student. Daniel Rodriguez questioned, "This teacher admitted to police the abuse happened in the classroom while another teacher was present. Wouldn't you think that's strange? Too often, people see something inappropriate and stay silent because they don't want to ruin someone's career."
On Wednesday, the law firm filed a claim against the Kern High School District, alleging the district was negligent in supervising Ramirez.
Daniel Rodriguez stated, "They had no standalone training program to prevent school employees from abusing students." According to the Kern High School District, Ramirez was hired February 1st, 2024.
He is on unpaid administrative leave. Daniel Rodriguez expressed, "We trust schools to do the right thing, so it's always disheartening when cases like this happen." We reached out to the Kern High School District for a response to the allegations.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
