Teen sues schools over alleged acts by teacher
OAKLAND >> The alleged teenaged sex abuse victim of a teacher who was arrested last year has filed a federal lawsuit against the West Contra Costa Unified School District, charging the district with ignoring flagrant warning signs of sex abuse.
The suit alleges that exWCCUSD teacher Jane Shetterly “groomed” the girl for sexual abuse starting when she was 15 and ended up continuously sexually abusing her, including at the girl's home during lessons. The alleged victim was a special needs student with an individualized education plan and Shetterly was her teacher.
Shetterly was arrested in June 2021 on suspicion of sexually abusing the girl, but a year later she has not been charged. A spokesman for the district attorney said the case is still “under review.” Police investigators wrote in court records they started investigating Shetterly after the girl's mother reported finding videos and pictures depicting Shetterly and the girl engaged in various sex acts.
A spokesman for the WCCUSD declined to comment on pending litigation.
The suit alleges that Shetterly “ritualistically groomed” the girl by providing “material gifts, extra attention, and affection.” Police allege that Shetterly took the girl to a sex shop on multiple occasions, the suit alleges she sent the girl information about how to become emancipated from her parents as a teen and took steps to isolate her from her friends.
During the time the alleged sexual abuse occurred, there were public social media posts showing that Shetterly and the girl were spending time together socially, which WCCUSD should have known about, the suit says. On campus, inappropriate behavior “was seen, witnessed, heard and known of by other school officials, teachers, and mandatory reporters,” who failed to stop it, according to the complaint.
After the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, Shetterly began going to the girl's home and conducting remote lessons from there. The district found out about this and asked her to stop, but did nothing to ensure that she did stop, according to the suit. When they asked her to stop, it was reportedly during a remote meeting, which Shetterly attended from the girl's home. Afterward, the suit alleges Shetterly continued to abuse the girl at her home.
“There were at least two teachers who were friends with Shetterly who knew about her conduct with (the alleged victim) and failed to take any action,” the suit alleges. “These teachers, protectors of children and minors and mandatory reporters, were employed by WCCUSD and responsible for the children under their care, including Plaintiff.”
After Shetterly's arrest, multiple WCCUSD employees hassled the girl about getting Shetterly in trouble over their “relationship,” according to the lawsuit.
Even after Shetterly's June 2021 arrest, Shetterly returned to De Anza High School to find the girl, and continued to send her text messages, according to the suit. Her family has since sought a restraining order against Shetterly.
The suit mirrors similar litigation filed against WCCUSD by the same attorney, Micha Liberty, also involving special needs students who were abused. In one case that resulted in several lawsuits, a boy was sexually abused by other students, resulting in a settlement. After the district agreed to a $1.475 million settlement with the boy, he was subsequently allegedly sexually abused multiple additional times by students and a staffer.