A former student from San Ramon Valley High School in Danville has filed a lawsuit against her former theatre arts teacher, Ryan Weible, and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. The San Jose law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard is representing the victim.
The plaintiff accuses Weible of grooming and sexually abusing her over a decade ago, during the 2010-2011 school year. The lawsuit alleges inappropriate behavior, including hugs, hand massages, students sitting on his lap, and special attention to female students.
Of significant concern is the assertion that despite numerous complaints regarding Weible’s conduct, the school district failed to take appropriate action until 2012. Moreover, the complaint alleges that the district never reported suspicions of child abuse to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), allowing Weible to continue working with minors. Weible, currently serves as Assistant Head of School for a prestigious Bay Area private school.
Passing the Trash
“Passing the trash” refers to the unethical practice of allowing educators who have engaged in misconduct, particularly of a sexual nature, to quietly leave one school district and obtain employment in another district without their history of misconduct being disclosed. This term highlights the irresponsible and potentially dangerous transfer of problematic educators from one educational institution to another, often without proper investigation or consequences for their actions.
“Passing the trash” is a significant problem for several reasons:
- Failure to Protect Students: It disregards the safety and well-being of students by allowing educators with a history of misconduct to continue working with children, potentially putting them at risk of harm.
- Perpetuates Abuse: By allowing offenders to move freely between schools without consequences, it enables a cycle of abuse to continue, as perpetrators are not held accountable for their actions.
- Lack of Accountability: It fosters a culture of impunity where educators may believe they can engage in misconduct without facing consequences, undermining trust in the education system and the ability to safeguard students.
- Betrayal of Trust: Schools have a duty to provide a safe learning environment, and knowingly hiring educators with a history of misconduct breaches this trust between schools, parents, and students.
- Reputational Damage: Schools and districts that engage in passing the trash risk damaging their reputation and credibility within the community once instances of misconduct come to light.
Overall, passing the trash not only fails to address the root issue of educator sexual misconduct but also perpetuates a dangerous environment for students and undermines the integrity of the education system.
More on the San Ramon Valley Unified School District Lawsuit
The complaint details instances of Weible buying meals and gifts, providing rides, passing personal notes, and engaging in inappropriate touching. Allegedly, the sexual assault occurred both on campus and during a senior trip to New York City. The lawsuit also claims that the school district did not investigate Weible’s conduct until 2012, despite prior concerns. The lawsuit accuses Weible of sexual assault of a minor and the district of negligent hiring and supervision.
This lawsuit follows previous allegations against the San Ramon Valley Unified School District in 2015 concerning mishandling of sexual harassment and abuse complaints, involving former California High School wrestling coach Kevin Lopez. Lopez pled guilty to charges, with SRVUSD and the New Life Church of Alamo, where he served as a youth group leader, settling with the victim for substantial sums.
The law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard represented the the victim in the Lopez case and also is representing the victim in this case.
The District is also facing scrutiny over another former teacher, Nicholas Moseby. He is set for trial in a separate sexual abuse case, and the district’s handling of Moseby’s case has led to investigations into the role of a current principal during her tenure at San Ramon Valley High.