The private Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California, is being sued by a parent for failing to take any action to stop or report the sexual assault of their 8-year-old daughter by an older student.
According to ABC News, the plaintiff's family stated that their daughter was 7 years old at the time of the incident. During class, she was coerced by a group of older female students who had joined a "Kissing Club" to kiss her and engage in other forms of sexual assault.
The victim's mother expressed her heartbreak, saying, "As a mother, the feeling of helplessness, the despair of not being able to protect my child from this entirely avoidable harm, is heartbreaking. My concern is for the systems and safeguards that failed to protect my child."
The family alleges that school staff failed in their supervisory responsibilities and, after learning of the incident, including the discovery of video evidence on the student's phone, did not promptly notify the victim's parents and law enforcement. They criticize this as tantamount to covering up the facts and violating California's mandatory reporting laws.
In fact, this is the second lawsuit against Sierra Canyon School, and the allegations are similar to the first. According to the family, one of the students suspected of being the mastermind behind the "kissing club" has not been expelled from the school, but is no longer attending.
