Former LA County students mentioned in 'Predator's Playground' claim they were sexually abused
Alleged 'Predator's Playground' victim speaks
A group of former students are suing the El Monte Union High School District alleging they were victims of sex abuse back when they attended Rosemead high. The lawsuit comes after Matt Drange, who also formerly attended Rosemead HS, published a bombshell report titled the "Predator's Playground," highlighting the alleged sex abuse that took place.
Are you or someone you know a recent survivor of sexual assault? Help is available. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides a 24/7 national sexual assault hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673.
Rosemead High School alumni are suing the El Monte Union High School District for not protecting them from teachers who allegedly abused, harassed, and molested them in the early 2000s.
"A horrible time in my life, inappropriate, hurtful," says Jane Doe.
She says her social science teacher groomed her during her senior year and justified having sexually inappropriate encounters by telling her she was a woman about to turn 18. She says every time she tried to report the abuse, the teacher would remind her that it would be useless.
"The teacher himself told me no one would ever believe me and that I would be ruined if I did tell," she said.
Attorney Luis Carrillo's law firm represents the three women suing the school district. He says school officials ignored the students when they first reported the abuse back in the early 2000s.
"It's amazing how, for so many decades, these administrators permitted these monsters to touch the girls when they were very young," laments Carrillo.
Matt Drange, a Senior Correspondent for Business Insider, spent months investigating allegations of sexual abuse at Rosemead High School. His article title, "A Predator's Playground," is disturbing.
We identified more than two dozen teachers at Rosemead High School who have sexually abused and harassed students over 40 years," Drange said.
By speaking out, Doe hopes to encourage other victims to report the abuse. She says, "I don't want it to happen to anyone else."
El Monte Union High School District have since issued the following statement in response to the allegations against its staff: