|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A former Menlo-Atherton High School student is alleging that her teacher sexually abused her about 20 years ago, when she was a teenager. A lawsuit was filed in San Mateo County Superior Court in June against the Sequoia Union High School District and instructional coach Salvadora Calonje for childhood sexual abuse and failing to protect the former student.
The suit details incidents that occurred between 2006 and 2010, alleging Calonje, who was in her early thirties at the time, “abused her position of authority and trust to groom, sexually harass and abuse,” the former student, referred to in the lawsuit as Jane Doe.Â
The alleged incidents occurred on and off campus during and after school hours, according to the lawsuit. It also accuses Calonje of groping, molesting, forced digital penetration, intercourse and oral copulation. The suit adds that Calonje would often bring Jane Doe to school and take her home in sight of other district administrators and staff.Â
The lawsuit states that Jane Doe believes that other students were also abused by Calonje.
The suit names the school district for allegedly failing to take steps to prevent teachers from sexually abusing students, inadequately investigating and supervising employees, and for failing to warn and educate students of known dangers posed by its staff.
The lawsuit alleges that the district was negligent for failing to report Calonje to law enforcement and in implementing policies and protocols to detect and report suspected abuse..
“Proper action, adequate supervision, and timely reporting could have prevented some of all of the abuse suffered by (Jane Doe),” the complaint said.
The district did not respond to this news organization’s repeated requests for comment.
Calonje was promoted to serve as an instructional coach for the district in 2022 after previously teaching Spanish at Menlo-Atherton. She also served as the head of the World Languages Department and developed a gender-inclusive language unit, according to the M-A Chronicle.
Although the alleged abuse occurred 20 years ago, state law allows victims who experienced sexual abuse before December 31, 2023 to file a civil claim before they turn 40 years old or within five years of discovering psychological impacts from the assault.
Jane Doe has suffered from severe emotional distress, physical and mental pain, and costs for medical treatment, the suit said.
“Unfortunately, sexual abuse survivors take a long time to come forward. Delayed disclosure is often very normal,” said Alex Cunny, the attorney representing the case. Cunny works for Texas-based sexual abuse law firm Lanier Meyer McBride Blair LLP.
“One of the horrible side effects of sexual abuse is that individuals have to suffer in silence for so many years. So it’s a good thing that the law now reflects and respects that time it takes to come forward,” he added.
Lanier Meyer McBride Blair has also been placing social media ads about the lawsuit, offering free consultations and encouraging those with similar experiences to contact the firm.
Evidence is still being collected for the case but the school was served with the lawsuit in mid-June, according to Cunny. The Almanac was unable to confirm whether Calonje is currently employed by the district.Â
