According to NBC Bay Area, a coach and teacher at a San Jose middle school has been arrested on allegations of sexual assault.
Ronald Gardner, 63-years-old, was a soccer coach, track and field coach, and a science teacher at Sierramont Middle School. Gardner was arrested after allegations surfaced that he molested a student at his school. The abuse allegedly occurred between 2003 and 2005, El Dorado County Sheriff's Office reported.
After the police began their investigation, they learned there might be a possible second victim who Gardner molested during the same period, reported NBC Bay Area.
Gardner was arrested on suspicion of committing lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, reported the police. He was booked into county jail.
Attorney Contributor Jason Amala is an experienced sexual assault attorney and works with victims of sexual assault in civil lawsuits. Below, Bobby shares his thoughts on the rights of victims who have been abused sexually by a teacher.
"School districts have a legal obligation to protect the students enrolled and do their best to ensure predators are not working with children. Unfortunately, numerous cases of teacher sexual assault have surfaced across the country. Predators often place themselves in positions of trust to exploit students. In attempts to provide a safe environment, school districts should implement security measures, such as background checks, cameras, guards, and more."
"Families of victims should acquire the services of an experienced sexual assault attorney to learn their legal options. If a school fails to provide ample security measures, a school district may be considered liable if abuse occurs due to negligence. One example of negligence is previous misconduct was reported but ignored. In negligence cases, victims and their families may have grounds for a civil lawsuit against the school district and receive monetary compensation for damages."