Written and reviewed by Josh Kohanim, Esq., California Bar No. 328609 · Published · Reviewed
In this guide
You can read this page without contacting anyone. If you reach out, you do not have to give your name. Nothing happens until you say so. The school sexual abuse page explains the law statewide, and the Los Angeles County page lists the county's other districts with a public record.
The record at Mountain View
The Los Angeles Times reported on April 16, 2025 that a Los Angeles jury had awarded $48 million to six former students of Miramonte Elementary School in South El Monte, a Mountain View School District school. The students were 8 to 10 years old at the time. The abuse occurred between the early 2000s and 2017. Their lawyers presented evidence that the district had warnings of inappropriate behavior by the teacher, Joseph Baldenebro, dating to the 1990s but took no action. The district had acknowledged negligently supervising him but argued that he alone caused the harm. Jurors held the district responsible for slightly more than $36 million and Baldenebro for the rest. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.
| What happened | Outcome | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miramonte Elementary, South El Monte: six former students, aged 8 to 10, abused by teacher Joseph Baldenebro between the early 2000s and 2017 | $48 million jury verdict; district share slightly more than $36 million | April 2025 | Los Angeles Times |
Baldenebro taught in the district for more than two decades. He was convicted in 2018 of lewd or lascivious acts with children and sentenced to 8 years in prison. A second set of charges ended in a no-contest plea in the summer of 2024 and a 12-year sentence. This Miramonte Elementary is a Mountain View School District school in South El Monte. It is not the Los Angeles Unified school of the same name, which has its own record.
Status of the cases
The verdict followed a monthlong trial. A June 2026 report by Easton Law Offices described it as the first of two lawsuits over the district's supervision of Baldenebro, so a second case was pending as of that report. The jury's finding that the district had warnings dating to the 1990s and took no action is now part of the public record. Every claim still has to prove its own harm and its own timeline, and each survivor's claim is separate.
Filing deadlines
The date of the conduct decides the deadline. Conduct on or after January 1, 2024 has no time limit, because AB 452 amended Code of Civil Procedure section 340.1 to remove it. Earlier conduct follows AB 218. A survivor can file until age 40, or within five years of discovering that an adult psychological injury was caused by the assault, whichever is later. Survivors 40 and older file certificates of merit from an attorney and a licensed mental health practitioner.
No government claim is required first, because Government Code section 905(m) exempts these claims. SB 577 passed the Legislature at the end of August 2026 and awaited the Governor as of September 23, 2026. It may change the rules for older claims. Our statute of limitations page tracks it.
District responsibility
A district answers for what its employees do and fail to do within the scope of their work under Government Code section 815.2(a). In C.A. v. William S. Hart Union High School District (2012) 53 Cal.4th 861, the California Supreme Court held that a district can be liable for administrators who negligently hired, kept or supervised an abusive employee. In Doe v. Lawndale Elementary School District (2021), the Second District Court of Appeal held that this duty does not depend on proof that administrators actually knew of an employee's earlier misconduct. Whether they responded reasonably to warning signs is a question for the jury.
Treble damages are not available against a public district. Section 340.1(b)(1) allows them when a cover-up is proved, but in Los Angeles Unified School District v. Superior Court, decided June 1, 2023, the California Supreme Court held that Government Code section 818 bars that enhancement against a public entity.
A confidential first step
A first conversation covers only what you choose to share, and you can talk to an attorney in confidence. Many survivors file as Jane Doe or John Doe, courts commonly allow it, and we will ask whether you want that. Survivors do not have to face the abuser to bring a claim. A parent can make the first call for a child. No fee unless we recover. If there is no recovery, you owe no fee and no case costs.
Records to gather
Nothing here is required before you call. It helps to have the school and the years, the adult's role, yearbooks, report cards, photos, messages, the names of friends who knew, and any earlier complaint to the school. Do not contact the abuser or the district, and do not post details online. Adult survivors can use our before you call checklist. Parents can use our after your child tells you checklist.
Sources cited
- Los Angeles Times, April 16, 2025, on the Mountain View School District verdict (via Yahoo News)
- Easton Law Offices, June 2, 2026, on the verdict and the second lawsuit
- Code of Civil Procedure section 340.1
- California School Boards Association on AB 452
- Government Code section 905
- Government Code section 815.2
- C.A. v. William S. Hart Union High School District (2012), summarized
- Doe v. Lawndale Elementary School District (2021)
- Los Angeles Unified School District v. Superior Court (Cal. June 1, 2023)
- CalMatters on SB 577, August 2026
- SB 577 bill status