Suisun City, CA - Suisun City Elementary School Teacher Charged with Sexual Assault

Suisun City Elementary School Teacher Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Student

According to CBS Local, a teacher at Suisun City Elementary School was arrested for sexual assault.

Stephen Gallagher, 54-years-old, was arrested and charged for allegedly sexually abusing a third-grade student between 2016 and 2017. Gallagher was served with a warrant after an investigation of sexual abuse between May 2016 and March 2017 that allegedly occurred with a student in his class.

The investigation is still underway as investigators believe there may be additional victims. Further details have not been reported.

Legal Options of Victims Sexually Abused by a Teacher

Attorney Contributor Bobby Thompson, an experienced sexual assault lawyer, represents victims abused by a teacher in civil lawsuits. We asked Bobby to provide insight on the rights of victims sexually abused by a teacher. He said the following:

"Schools have a legal obligation to both protect the students enrolled and provide a safe learning environment. Unfortunately, many reports show teachers taking advantage of the trust and respect placed in them and sexually abusing students. Schools must ensure they implement adequate security measures, such as cameras and reporting systems, to protect the students. If a school and its administration fail to provide a safe environment, it may be considered liable if sexual abuse occurs."

"The victim and their family should ask whether the school did everything possible to prevent the abuse from occurring at their site. If the school did not, they might be deemed negligent in the abuse, and the family would have grounds for a civil lawsuit. An example of negligence is if a school ignored previous misconduct reports about an employee. The victim's family should secure an experienced sexual abuse lawyer's services to learn all their legal options."

Sources:

CBS Local