CHICO,
Calif., July 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
Mary Alexander of Mary Alexander & Associates and co-counsel
Bobby Thompson of Thompson Law
Offices obtained a total of $4.9
million in two settlements against Chico Unified School
District in a pair of school sex abuse cases involving the same
middle school teacher.
Ms. Alexander and Mr. Thompson represented two plaintiffs who
were middle school students at Bidwell Junior High School. Both
students were sexually abused by Jennifer
Smith, a teacher at the school for several years. Smith was
convicted of several counts of child sexual abuse, was originally
sentenced to five years in state prison, and was ordered to
register as a sex offender.
According to the complaints, Smith was the school's Spanish
teacher and began grooming these girls when they were only 13 years
old. Smith sexually abused these girls at different times,
demonstrating a pattern the school should have recognized over the
course of several years. Smith purposefully sought both girls out
because she recognized they were vulnerable. She groomed both of
them, showing them special attention, encouraging them to have
lunch in her classroom and more.
In both of these cases, Smith transitioned from showing these
girls special attention to spending time alone with them, fondling
their bodies, exposing herself to them, and ultimately committing
sexual acts on or with them.
Chico Unified School District ignored multiple red flags
according to the complaint, including failing to perform proper
background checks on Jennifer Smith
which would have turned up a past DUI arrest and conviction. When
the school learned that one of the girls was spending far too much
time with Jennifer Smith, she was
simply given a written reprimand. The school ignored more than a
dozen red flags over the course of a decade, which included several
students and staff members pointing out a host of inappropriate
behavior between Smith and her victims.
"It's terrible that these young women had to endure years of
sexual abuse at the hands of someone they should have been able to
trust," said school sex abuse attorney Mary
Alexander. "The school's staff and administration turned a
blind eye while this monster sexually abused these young girls.
Jennifer Smith was not only allowed
to abuse these girls, but she was also let out of prison early. My
clients now spend their time looking over their shoulders as this
sexual predator is roaming the streets once more. I'm grateful for
this settlement which will allow them to get the counseling they
need, but Chico Unified School District must change its behavior to
make sure no other teacher is ever allowed to sexually abuse a
student ever again."
The lawsuits are:
Jane Doe v. Chico Unified
School District, Butte County Superior Court, Case No. 21
CV00762
Jane Doe 2 v. Chico Unified
School District, Butte County Superior Court, Case No.
22CV01014
About Mary Alexander &
Associates
Child sexual abuse causes lifelong scars both physically and
emotionally. Mary Alexander &
Associates has a long, successful track record of representing the
survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She has a compassionate
commitment to help them and hold institutions accountable for
allowing the abuse to occur. She fights to return the loss of power
that survivors feel which demands justice. She has 40 years of
experience in sexual assault cases and the battle to protect
children.
About TLO Law
Bobby Thompson solely represents
individuals harmed by the irresponsible and careless conduct of
others. Bobby's mission is to hold responsible corporations,
institutions and insurance companies that place profits over the
safety of others. His philosophy is to do everything in his power
to obtain justice. Above all, Bobby leaves nothing to chance in
developing the facts to prove the wrongdoer's liability, and in
assembling the evidence to prove every component of his client's
damages.
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SOURCE Mary Alexander &
Associates