School Teacher Sexual Abuse

Former O.B. Whaley principal convicted of failing to report child abuse

Published on: November 5, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

A Santa Clara County Superior Court jury convicted former O.B. Whaley Elementary School principal Lyn Vijayendran of failing to report suspected child abuse in the case involving former teacher Craig Chandler. The San Jose Mercury News reports that Vijayendran faced up to six months in jail if convicted. Vijayendran agreed to be sentenced immediately and Judge Deborah Ryan reportedly sentenced her to six months court probation, $602 in court fines, and 100 hours of community service.

Attorney Robert Allard represents one of Craig Chandler’s alleged sex abuse victims.

“This was a much deeper problem that involved much more than just one person making a horrible mistake,” Allard stated during the trial. “This was a systemic failure. In addition to the principal, at least one other teacher at O.B. Whaley as well as the District’s superintendent and human resources director knew all about what Chandler was doing and yet, shockingly, he continued to sexually molest children under the auspices that he was teaching them about Helen Keller. Seemingly both the school and the district turned a blind eye to obvious acts of insidious childhood sexual abuse. When you combine this with the fact that there was a complete absence of any training or education on sex abuse issues, I have grave doubts about whether our children are safe from sex abuse in public schools. Parents everywhere should heed this warning.”

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Sex Abuse by O.B. Whaley Teacher Craig Chandler Dates Back to 2010

Published on: August 31, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

According to a claim filed by attorney Robert Allard, the San Jose Mercury News reports, former O.B. Whaley teacher Craig Chandler allegedly molested kids dating back to the beginning of the 2010 school year.

Allard filed a claim with the Evergreen Elementary School District seeking compensation for the family of a ten-year-old child allegedly molested by Craig Chandler. Chandler has been charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14 at O.B. Whaley Elementary school. Former-Principal Lyn Vijayendran is charged with failing to report a suspicion of child abuse, even though she was a mandated reporter.

The Mercury News cites a police report stating that the parent of another alleged victim complained to Vijayendran last fall about Chandler blindfolding her child alone in his classroom and putting things in her mouth. Allard says that the ten-year-old victim he represents claims that Craig Chandler also made her engage in the same type of game, called “Helen Keller,” in which the victim was blindfolded so that Chandler could sexually abuse the child.

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KTVU News: O.B. Whaley School named in Molestation Claim

Published on: August 28, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

KTVU Channel Two is reporting on the child molestation claim filed against Evergreen Elementary School District over its handling of the molestation of students by O.B. Whaley Elementary School teacher Craig Chandler and the failure of the principal to report suspected sexual abuse.

KTVU reports the principal has been reassigned to the district offices while attorney Robert Allard revealed that Chandler had yard supervisors and others bring children into his classroom during recess or the lunch hour for the purpose of molesting the kids.

OB Whaley Elementary School Principal Charged with Enabling Alleged Child Molester Craig Chandler

Published on: July 10, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Law enforcement authorities are charging O.B. Whaley Elementary School Principal Lyn Vijayendran with failing to report a child molestation complaint against alleged child molester Craig Chandler. Chandler taught at O.B. Whaley Elementary School, Evergreen School District, for nine years. Chandler was arrested in January 2012 and is currently facing charges stemming from the alleged molestation of five children from his second- and third-grade class.

Child molestation victims’ rights attorney Robert Allard, of the law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard in San Jose, CA, is currently representing the families of children molested by a daycare worker at Trace Elementary School CDC along with families of children molested by teachers, athletic coaches and a Silicon Valley executive.

Mr. Allard issued the following statement:

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More Craig Chandler Victims in San Jose Teacher Molestation Case

Published on: March 6, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Accused child molester Craig Richard Chandler, an elementary school teacher at San Jose’s O.B. Whaley Elementary School is reportedly facing additional molestation charges according to a report this weekend in the San Jose Mercury News.

Child molestation victims’ right attorney Robert Allard points out that, sadly, statistics show that over a third of all sexual assaults in California and the United States involved a victim who was under the age of 12. Hopefully, the victims in this case involving Craig Chandler will come forward and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that this does not happen again, not only at this but other schools, so that children are protected.

The newspaper reports that three more young girls came forward and accused Craig Chandler of molesting them. Chandler taught a combined second- and third-grade class at O.B. Whaley Elementary School which is part of the Evergreen School District.

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