Featured Articles

Marin County jury awards $10 million to survivor of Tamalpais High School sexual abuse

Published on: May 26, 2022 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

A Marin County jury ruled that the Tamalpais Union High School District was 100 percent negligent for the 2003 sexual abuse of a then-high school student by its then PE teacher and tennis coach Normandie Burgos (Marin County Superior Court, Case# CIV2001133). It awarded the student $10 million.

The student, Alexander Harrison, is now 36 years old.

His lawsuit against the Tamalpais Union High School District was filed in March 2020 by the San Jose-based law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard under the auspices of AB 218, which extends the statute of limitations to allow older child sexual abuse cases to be filed through December 2022.

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Union School District settles 40-year-old sexual abuse case for $7.5 million

Published on: May 26, 2022 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Teacher showed no remorse for abusing as many as 40 male students

When Dennis Thomas started teaching at Cinnabar Elementary School in San Jose, it wasn’t long before school officials became aware that he was befriending young boys and taking them to his home or to places like the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz.

One time he even took a student on a Mexican cruise and he often sexually abused students at school – making boys sit on his lap, and inappropriately rubbing and touching them.

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Kylie McKenzie USTA Lawsuit

Published on: April 4, 2022 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Female tennis sensation Kylie McKenzie sues USTA for sexual harassment and assault committed by its coach

Federal lawsuit filed by San Jose-based Cerri, Boskovich & Allard and Florida-based Normand PLLC

ORLANDO, Fla., March 29, 2022 – A rising tennis star who was sexually assaulted by her coach has filed suit against the United States Tennis Association, claiming the organization and its player development affiliate failed to protect her from a known sexual abuser.

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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month

Published on: April 4, 2022 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Sexual abuse, particularly child sexual abuse, is a plague upon our society that cuts across socio-economic lines, sexual identity, race and age. Its impacts are felt by individuals and families for generations.

When we hear stories about serial pedophiles like Michigan State coach Larry Nasser we wonder, “how did he get away with it for so long?”

One reason child sexual abusers get away with their crimes is because the abuse often goes unreported. The reasons for this vary and can include threatening victims and shaming them.

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Sexual abuse survivor says, ‘Bob, Lauren and Jancy are a dream team’

Published on: December 25, 2021 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

The day Allison Brown told police she had been sexually abused by her former basketball coach was life-changing for both her and Greg Marshall: he is now serving a 6-plus year sentence for repeatedly abusing Allison and she is working to recover from his abuse.

Allison was a student-athlete at Valley Christian High School in San Jose when Marshall began abusing her in the early 2000s.

In 2021, Allison hired Cerri, Boskovich & Allard to represent her in a sexual abuse lawsuit against Valley Christian, saying the school should have protected her from Marshall.

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Amended sexual abuse lawsuit filed against Los Gatos Union School District

Published on: December 2, 2021 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Student who was brutally raped by Los Gatos elementary school teacher joins lawsuit

A horrific story of sexual abuse is detailed in an amended lawsuit against the Los Gatos Union School District and former fifth grade teacher Joseph Brian Houg.

The amended lawsuit, Case No. 21CV388845, was filed against the school district and Houg in Santa Clara County Superior Court by San Jose-based Cerri, Boskovich and Allard.

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Sexual abuse survivor Stevie Gould empowered by suing USTA

Published on: November 11, 2021 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Sexual predator Normandie Burgos, a once well-respected Northern California tennis coach, is serving a 255-year prison sentence after being found guilty in May 2020 of 60 counts of child molestation.

Some of the charges involved Stevie Gould, who was a 13- year-old tennis player when Burgos began abusing him. The abuse went on for two years.

Stevie is largely responsible for putting Burgos in prison: he secretly recorded the tennis coach admitting to having sex with a child and turned the recording over to police.

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Sexual abuse lawsuit filed against Piedmont Hills High School

Published on: November 11, 2021 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Another victim of former Piedmont Hills High School track coach Chioke Robinson is coming forward with her story of sexual abuse.

In a newly filed amended lawsuit, Jane Doe 2 claims that Robinson began sexually grooming her in the 2009-2010 school year and that Robinson sexually abused her starting in the 2010-2011 school year and continuing through the 2011-2012 school year.

The lawsuit states that the abuse escalated from inappropriate massages to sexual intercourse.

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Sexual abuse lawsuit filed against Los Gatos Union School District

Published on: November 11, 2021 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Victim’s parents call for transparency, accountability and policies to keep students safe from sexual predators.

The Los Gatos Union School District and a former fifth grade teacher, Joseph Brian Houg, are being sued by the parents of a 10-year-old child who was sexually abused by Houg.

Due to the boy’s age and the sensitive nature of the allegations, the suit was filed anonymously on behalf of “John Doe.”

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Piedmont Hills Chioke Robinson Lawsuit

Published on: September 26, 2021 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Sexual abuse lawsuit targets East Side Union High School District

A new lawsuit filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court alleges that former Piedmont Hills High School track coach Chioke Robinson repeatedly sexually abused a young female student both on and off school grounds.

The civil suit was filed on behalf of “Jane Doe,” who chooses to remain anonymous, by San Jose-based Cerri, Boskovich & Allard.

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