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Morgan Hill YMCA Sex Abuse

Published on: August 8, 2013 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Nicolas Lhermine, Morgan Hill YMCA Employee Charged with Sex Abuse of Children

Reports are surfacing that accused child molester, Nick Lhermine of the Morgan Hill YMCA, may have sexually abused numerous children at the Paradise Valley Elementary School daycare facility. The YMCA of Silicon Valley is responsible for the administration of 12 Association Centers in the area. This includes the Mt. Madonna YMCA,which operates the YMCA – Paradise Valley summer child care day camp on the premises of Paradise Valley Elementary School in Morgan Hill. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that Lhermine was hired as an aide in February of 2011.

Citing court documents and interviews with law enforcement, reports from the news media indicate that at least four children have come forward indicating they were victims of Lhermine’s sex abuse at the Morgan Hill YMCA’s childcare facility located at Paradise Valley Elementary School. As a result, Nicolas Lhermine is accused of molesting children as young as 5 and 7 years old.

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Traina Elementary School Sexual Abuse

Published on: August 8, 2013 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Darrel Golden, a fourth-grade teacher at Anthony C. Traina Elementary School in Tracy, faces child molestation charges which involve at least 12 children. Golden is reportedly charged with 33 counts of lewd acts on a child and child molestation. The alleged victims include 10 girls and two boys, ranging in age from 7 to 10 years old.

Attorney Robert Allard is familiar with molestation cases involving teachers. Mr. Allard is currently representing the parents of multiple children in a case involving convicted O.B. Whaley school teacher Craig Chandler.

In the ongoing case against O.B. Whaley School and the Evergreen Elementary School District, Mr. Allard has dug deep to uncover evidence that demonstrated that the school had advance warning of Chandler’s behavior and yet took no action. For parents who find themselves facing teachers like Darrel Golden at Tracy’s Traina Elemetary School, Mr. Allard has this advice:

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Evergreen School District Sex Abuse Scandal Made Worse with Non-Compliance of a Federal Law to Protect Students from Molestation According to NBC Bay Area

Published on: February 15, 2013 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit claims the Evergreen School District ignored a federal law designed to protect students in molestation and sex abuse cases like the one involving O.B. Whaley School and their former teacher Craig Chandler and Principal Lyn Vijayendran. Title IX requires schools to have a system in place to file sexual harassment and sex abuse complaints, a trained coordinator to process them and that this information be made public for staff, students and parents. According to the report, at the time of the alleged sex abuse, Evergreen did not have a trained Title IX coordinator or contact information published online.

“If they had followed the law appropriately, none of this would have happened,” attorney Robert Allard told NBC Bay Area.

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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Rick Curl Charged with Sex Abuse of Former Swimmer

Published on: October 26, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Update: May 23, 2013

Rick Curl was sentenced to 7 years in prison for the sexual abuse of Kelley Davies Currin more than 30 years ago. Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Marielsa Bernard imposed a 15-year sentence, with all but seven years suspended. The Judge thought it was important to send a message that criminals will be held accountable no matter when they’re caught. More on the sentencing as reported by the Washington Post.

Update: February 21, 2013

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Michael Phelps’ NBAC Removes Coach Accused of Sexual Abuse

Published on: October 8, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

A former student of a high-level coach with ties to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club recently came forward with sexual abuse allegations against that coach. These allegations resulted in the coach’s resignation, the club taking unprecedented action, and USA Swimming seemingly taking steps to protect the coach.

Here is Tim Joyce’s original story, removed twice by WBAL in Baltimore. The news director offered an explanation for the first removal but not for the permanent removal.

Swimming Coach Accused Of Molestation At North Baltimore Aquatic Club

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KTVU Reports Lawsuit Alleges Group Home Didn’t Protect Girls from Sexual Abuse

Published on: September 24, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

KTVU Channel 2 News is reporting that a civil lawsuit was filed against a Santa Clara County group home this month after it was warned about the behavior of one of its staff members, but did nothing to prevent him from allegedly sexually abusing students.

San Jose childhood molestation attorney Robert Allard alleges in the lawsuit filed against Eastfield Ming Quong (EMQ) Children and Family Services that the sexual molestation of a 12-year-old girl was preventable and that the facility retaliated against the victim for reporting the sexual abuse.

More details on the story can be found at KTVU.

Rick Curl Banned from USA Swimming

Published on: September 19, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Former Olympic Coach Rick Curl has been banned permanently from USA Swimming, apparently giving up his fight on the day of his National Board of Review hearing. Curl is now listed with some 60+ coaches on the USA Swimming list of banned coaches and individuals.

Kelley Davies Currin came forward publicly earlier this year with a signed settlement agreement with Curl’s signature in which Curl agreed to pay her $150,000 in return for not going to law enforcement for allegedly molesting her starting when she was 13 years old in 1983.

Attorney Robert Allard who represents the victim has said from the onset that USA Swimming has known about Curl for years. Curl was referenced in the Jane Doe amended lawsuit filed in March of 2010. Despite USA Swimming having knowledge of Curl’s rumored past, Curl attended this years U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha on a coaching credential.

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Mark Schubert Lawsuit Update

Published on: September 19, 2012 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

A wrongful termination lawsuit against former US Olympic coach Mark Schubert claims he repeatedly ignored and dismissed complaints of inappropriate behavior toward young female swimmers by a longtime Orange County swim coach. Schubert heads the Golden West Swim Club in Orange County. More from these news organizations:

Former U.S. national swim coach Schubert faces lawsuit

A swimming coach and philanthropist claims she was wrongfully fired by former U.S. national coach Mark Schubert after she became aware of abuse allegations within his Southern California club.

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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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