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Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against the Emery Unified School District
The San Jose law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard is suing the Emery Unified School District as a result of the alleged sexual abuse of a 16-year-old student by a school security guard. The lawsuit was filed today in Alameda County.
According to the lawsuit, employees at Emery High School are alleged to have failed to discipline or supervise security guard Daniel Parham even though it is believed that the school was aware of Parham's sexual misconduct with other students. The inappropriate behavior with other female students included inappropriately touching one or more female students and frequently groping their waists, thighs, and bottoms on school grounds.
Parham, according to the complaint, allegedly started isolating the 16-year-old victim and plaintiff at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year behind closed and/or locked doors in the senior center study room, a lab room, and a gym teacher’s office; and within each of these locations Parham sexually assaulted the student. The abuse allegedly occurred on school grounds on at least three different occasions from late October 2023 through early November 2023.
The young victim confided in an Emeryville Center of Community Life Pool [“ECCL”] employee that she was concerned about being pregnant following Parham's sexual abuse. The ECCL employee reportedly told the Plaintiff that another female student had notified him that Parham was inappropriately touching her. Parham was arrested in November of 2023 by Alameda Police and charged with the statutory rape & sexual assault of the 16-year-old girl on school grounds.
"The assault and rape of the student on school grounds during school hours did not have to happen," attorney Mark Boskovich said. The lawsuit states that the High School basketball coach discovered Parham alone in a dark locker room but took no action to investigate after asking Parham what he was doing. Parham at the time was alone with the victim.
Emery High School is located on the campus of the Emeryville Center of Community Life, which is a joint use project by the School District and the City of Emeryville. The ECCL houses K-12 students within the District and includes several community uses. The ECCL and the School District were accused in 2017 of violating mandated reporting laws by failing to report to law enforcement two sexual assaults that took place on campus.
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Media Mentions:
- San Francisco Chronicle: Emeryville school district sued after security guard arrested for sexual assault
- San Jose Mercury News & East Bay Times: Lawsuit: Emery Unified officials failed to protect student from sexual abuse
