San Bruno school district sued after former teacher found guilty of sexual abuse
The San Bruno Park School District is being sued by victims of a former elementary school teacher who was convicted of child molestation, saying officials failed to stop the sexual abuse.
Attorneys representing four students announced their lawsuit Wednesday, nearly a week after a San Mateo County jury found 34-year-old Jeremy Paykin Yeh guilty of 17 counts of felony child molestation.
"Jeremy Yeh is a classic pedophile that groomed young girls with special attention and rewards," said attorney Bobby Thompson, who is representing two of the victims. "He'd still be doing it to this day but for some young girls that were brave enough to speak up."
Yeh, a San Mateo resident, was a former teacher at El Crystal Elementary School in San Bruno, which has since been closed. He also taught at Allen Elementary School, also in San Bruno. Yeh had taught 1st and 2nd grade.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, Thompson said, "We're here to hold the school responsible for their actions and inactions, particularly the fact that they had a report of abuse by Mr. Yeh and ignore that, which allowed Mr. Yeh to continue to be employed at that school and go on to abuse several other girls."
The lawsuit claims administrators "covered up and concealed Jeremy Yeh's inappropriate and abhorrent conduct", along with failing to document, investigate or respond to further incidents of sexual misconduct, and failing to comply with mandatory reporting laws.
Valerie Rose, an attorney who represents a third victim said Wednesday, "Our parents feel that they placed their trust in the school district and trusted them to do the right thing when they received information, and that trust was violated."
Prosecutors said Yeh touched several of his students on the genitals and buttocks between 2016 and 2022. According to testimony at trial, a victim had come forward in 2018, but later recanted after the administration at El Crystal Elementary said she lied.
The victims' claim that a student at El Crystal saw Yeh sexually abuse a classmate and reported it to administrators. Instead of investigating, the lawsuit alleges Principal Jeanne Elliott forced both students to have a meeting with Yeh. Elliott also allegedly sent a letter to parents in the class, calling the victim "a liar".
Neither Elliott nor then-Superintendent Cheryl Olson reported the incident to police, according to the victims. They also claimed that both administrators failed to cooperate with San Bruno police after Yeh's arrest.
"The school could have prevented my daughter from being harmed, but they chose to protect this evil man. We just don't understand that," the parents of one of the victims said in a statement.
Thompson said the attorneys "strongly believe" that there may be additional victims and encourage anyone who was abused by Yeh to come forward.
In a statement to CBS News Bay Area, current superintendent Matthew Duffy said about Yeh's conviction, "The verdict sends a strong message across our community and throughout our public school system that those who work in our schools and who mistreat and harm students will be held accountable. The District cooperated and worked closely with law enforcement in this case and will continue to work together in an effort to promote student safety."
The district had no comment about the civil case.
Yeh faces up to 425 years to life in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25.
