Featured Articles

Protect Your Child From Coaching Sex Abuse

Published on: June 3, 2016 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Tips to keep your child safe from coaching sex abuse at USA Swimming clubs and YMCA pools

Despite recent stories of USA Swimming coaching sex abuse, swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports, and the success of famous athletes such as Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin inspires children across the nation to start swim lessons with USA Swimming Clubs, YMCA programs, or municipal summer recreation pools. All too frequently, however, coaches abuse their close relationships with young athletes, and take sexual advantage of them. The problem of coaching sex abuse is worsened when the supervising organization, rather than taking steps to protect the victim and any other children under its care, tries to preserve its reputation by covering up the actions of the coach turned predator.

One of the biggest coaching sex abuse scandals in youth athletics in recent years continues to involve USA Swimming. So far, over a hundred coaches working for USA Swimming’s member clubs have been permanently banned from the sport for molesting, groping, and secretly filming the young athletes under their care.

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$15 Million Settlement for O.B. Whaley Sexual Abuse Victims

Published on: April 20, 2016 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Administrative negligence harms innocent O.B. Whaley molestation victims

This case started with a single victim. In January 2012, authorities arrested Craig Chandler on suspicion of molesting a young child at O.B. Whaley Elementary School, where he had worked as a teacher for nine years. As the investigation proceeded, it became clear that he had molested five girls going back to 2010. The jury sentenced Chandler to 75 years in prison. Moreover, O.B. Whaley’s principal, Lyn Vijayendran, who was told of Chandler’s inappropriate behavior but failed to notify police or Child Protective Services, was sentenced to six months in jail.

Attorney Robert Allard of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard led the litigation team against the Evergreen Elementary School District. By preparing an airtight case against the District, Mr. Allard’s team persuaded the District to pay $15 million to the victims for the lifelong harm they are to endure. At the same time, the settlement prevented the poor victims from having to relive their trauma in a courtroom. Allard knew that the Evergreen School District was clearly at fault—that the principal of O.B. Whaley had been previously made aware of Chandler’s inappropriate behavior with students, and had even been observed engaging in inappropriate acts by other teachers, yet the principal had taken no action. Hence the extraordinarily large amount of the settlement.

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Sexual Misconduct by Teachers Highlights Risk of Teacher-Student Texting

Published on: April 11, 2016 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Sexual misconduct risk also includes social media “friending”

Concerns about teacher-student texting are under debate in Clark County, Nevada. This after a recent spate of sexual misconduct and molestation cases.

The Las Vegas Sun examined ten years of sexual misconduct cases by county educators (2005 to 2015). They discovered that half the cases involved private electronic communication between the teacher and the victim. Furthermore, from 2010 to 2015, 80% of sexual misconduct cases involved some form of private electronic communication. This included texting, email, and so forth. As a result, predatory teachers have been using text and email to groom their victims.

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Protecting Children from Financial Abuse in Sex Abuse Settlements

Published on: January 10, 2016 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

What happens when a child receives money from a legal settlement?

Whenever a young child receives a financial settlement, the potential for financial fraud exists. Minors don’t have the same rights as adults when it comes to sex abuse settlements. And they cannot enter into any agreements on their own. As a result, this means that they can’t bring lawsuits, make settlement decisions, open bank or investment accounts, fund annuities, or purchase real estate. As a result, a competent adult must perform these acts on the minor’s behalf.

Thankfully, the courts in California supervise sex abuse settlements made to minors. Furthermore, court orders are necessary to approve all forms of sex abuse settlements with minor plaintiffs.

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Sex Abuse Lawsuit Filed as a Result of Molestation by Wrestling Coach

Published on: December 27, 2015 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Sex Abuse Lawsuit Filed against San Ramon Unified School District Due to Molestation by Wrestling Coach

District officials allegedly failed to detect predatory grooming behavior for over ten years, giving coach the opportunity to molest.

The San Jose, California law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard has filed a childhood sexual abuse lawsuit against the San Ramon Unified School District, New Life Church of Alamo and convicted predator and former California High School wrestling coach Kevin Lopez.

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Audrie Pott Case

Published on: June 1, 2015 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Justice for Audrie Pott and Her Family

Audrie Pott was just 15 years old when she was sexually assaulted. She was then photographed and humiliated at school by her assailants. Audrie Pott took her life eight days later. After waiting seven months for law enforcement to charge the assailants, the parents of Audrie Pott turned to attorney Robert Allard. Mr. Allard filed a civil lawsuit against the assailants and their families.

The civil lawsuit and the publicity surrounding Audrie’s sexual assault and suicide led to two significant changes in the law and a public apology from the assailants. The San Jose Mercury News reported that the civil case did a “service to the broader public” by “reminding us of the courts’ ability to bring clarity to societal issues-and the value of individuals who take grievances public in ways that help shift the course of history toward a truer justice.”

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