SJUSD Pays $2 Million after Lawsuit Settlement
District reaches conclusion in sexual assault lawsuit over former Spanish teacher, Ricardo Chavarria.
By Ethan Percival
District reaches conclusion in sexual assault lawsuit over former Spanish teacher, Ricardo Chavarria.
By Ethan Percival
Former Pioneer Spanish teacher Ricardo Chavaria was arrested on assault charges in January 2019 and convicted later on six counts of sexually assaulting a minor over a period of four months between October 2018 and January 2019.
On June 12, 2020 the victim, a 17 year-old student, filed a lawsuit against San Jose Unified School District which claims that Pioneer employees ignored “multiple red flags” before Chavaria was arrested that could have prevented the abuse.
San Jose Unified has finally reached a settlement in the lawsuit, and has agreed to pay $2 million in settlement fees.
“San José Unified does not comment on the specifics of legal matters. In all cases, we expect our employees to be professional and ethical in their interactions with students, other employees, and the community,” said Jennifer Maddox, San Jose Unified Director of Communications and Engagement. “We commend those that come forward to report unacceptable behavior. When we learn of a violation of our standards, we respond immediately and hold the individual accountable in collaboration with the proper authorities.”
Maddox said, moving forward, “We expect our employees to do the right thing and rely on our community of students, parents, and employees to report unacceptable behavior. Our process is designed for an immediate response and investigation with the proper authorities.”
“We do not have plans to put new processes or systems in place,” said Maddox.
In a statement given to The Pony Express, the victim’s mother said, “We hope this shows school districts that they need to do a better job at protecting our students. It’s vital that if a school employee or a student sees anything out of the ordinary, they should immediately notify the principal to further investigate. Always remember, if you see something, say something!”
On June 12, 2020 the victim, a 17 year-old student, filed a lawsuit against San Jose Unified School District which claims that Pioneer employees ignored “multiple red flags” before Chavaria was arrested that could have prevented the abuse.
San Jose Unified has finally reached a settlement in the lawsuit, and has agreed to pay $2 million in settlement fees.
“San José Unified does not comment on the specifics of legal matters. In all cases, we expect our employees to be professional and ethical in their interactions with students, other employees, and the community,” said Jennifer Maddox, San Jose Unified Director of Communications and Engagement. “We commend those that come forward to report unacceptable behavior. When we learn of a violation of our standards, we respond immediately and hold the individual accountable in collaboration with the proper authorities.”
Maddox said, moving forward, “We expect our employees to do the right thing and rely on our community of students, parents, and employees to report unacceptable behavior. Our process is designed for an immediate response and investigation with the proper authorities.”
“We do not have plans to put new processes or systems in place,” said Maddox.
In a statement given to The Pony Express, the victim’s mother said, “We hope this shows school districts that they need to do a better job at protecting our students. It’s vital that if a school employee or a student sees anything out of the ordinary, they should immediately notify the principal to further investigate. Always remember, if you see something, say something!”