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San Ramon Valley Unified sexual abuse claimsConfidential. No fee unless we recover.

On July 22, 2025, San Ramon Valley Unified settled with two former students suing as Jane Doe, who alleged a theater teacher abused them from 2009 to 2011 and the district failed to act. Survivors of abuse at any district school can still bring claims. You can read this page without contacting anyone. Nothing happens unless you say so.

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Josh Kohanim, Esq.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 decide to reach out, you can do it without giving your name. Nothing happens until you say so. If this happened to you or your child at a San Ramon Valley Unified school, the record below is public, and the sections after it explain what the law allows. The law in full is on our California school sexual abuse lawyer page.

The San Ramon Valley settlement

The Danville San Ramon news site reported on July 30, 2025 that the district had finalized a $6,999,900 settlement on July 22 with two anonymous plaintiffs, Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2. They alleged that a former theater teacher, who also taught at Diablo Valley College, abused them on school grounds between 2009 and 2011. Their amended complaint alleged that the district failed to prevent or investigate the abuse until 2012, after both plaintiffs had graduated, and so breached its duty to protect and care for students. The plaintiffs' attorney said that despite obvious indicators of inappropriate conduct, the district failed to intervene, investigate, or report its suspicions to the appropriate authorities. The article reports no criminal charge against the teacher, so this page does not name him. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.

Status of the cases

The settlement is final as reported. Before settling, the district argued that it had acted in good faith and was entitled to immunity. The superintendent said that when an adult trusted to work with students is accused of betraying that trust, it is deeply disturbing. The article reports no admission of liability. Two points matter for anyone reading this page. The plaintiffs sued under Doe names and kept them through settlement. And the claim rested on what the district saw and did not act on, not on a criminal conviction, because none is reported. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts. Other Bay Area districts are on our Bay Area page.

Filing deadlines

California has two tracks. For abuse on or after January 1, 2024, there is no time limit; that is AB 452, now Code of Civil Procedure section 340.1(p). For abuse before that date, AB 218 controls: a survivor may file until age 40, or within five years of discovering that an adult injury was caused by the abuse, whichever is later. Survivors 40 and older also file certificates of merit from an attorney and a licensed mental health practitioner. No government claim is required for childhood sexual assault under Government Code section 905(m). 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 civil claim against a district does not require a criminal conviction. A public district answers for its employees under Government Code section 815.2. In C.A. v. William S. Hart Union High School District (2012), the California Supreme Court held that a district can be liable when its administrators negligently hired, kept or supervised an abusive employee. In Doe v. Lawndale Elementary School District (2021), the Court of Appeal held that this duty does not depend on proof that the district knew of the employee's prior misconduct. Whether administrators responded reasonably to warning signs is a question for the jury. Section 340.1 allows up to treble damages for a cover-up, but in Los Angeles Unified School District v. Superior Court (2023) the Supreme Court held that Government Code section 818 bars that enhancement against public entities. We do not promise it.

A confidential first step

Call, text, or use the confidential form on this page. The form has no narrative box; it asks how to reach you and whether it is safe to call. A Jane Doe or John Doe filing is common in these cases, as it was here, and we will ask whether you want one. You do not have to face the abuser to bring a claim. We handle cases statewide by phone, video and travel. No fee unless we recover. If there is no recovery, you owe no fee and no case costs.

Records to gather

You do not need any documents to call. Our before you call checklist for adult survivors lists what helps: the school and the years, the adult's role, programs and cast lists, yearbooks, photos, messages, and friends who knew. Parents can use our after your child tells you checklist. Write down what your child said in their words, with the date. Preserve messages and devices, and ask the school for its written policy and its Title IX coordinator's name. Do not contact the abuser or the district, and do not post details online.

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Sources cited

Frequently asked questions

The teacher was never charged. Can I still bring a civil claim against San Ramon Valley Unified?
Yes. A civil claim against a district does not depend on a criminal case. It rests on what the adults in charge saw, knew or should have noticed, and whether they took reasonable steps. The San Ramon Valley plaintiffs settled without any reported criminal proceeding. Proof comes from records, witnesses and the district's own files, which an attorney requests after you decide to go forward.
What does it mean that the plaintiffs were Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2?
They sued under substitute names so the public court file does not show who they are. That kind of filing is common in school abuse cases, and courts commonly allow it. The district and its lawyers still know who the plaintiffs are, so it protects privacy from the public, not from the defendant. We will ask whether you want a Doe filing and explain what it does and does not cover.
I graduated years ago. Is it too late?
Often not. For abuse before January 1, 2024, a survivor may file until age 40, or within five years of discovering that an adult injury was caused by the abuse, whichever is later. Survivors 40 and older need certificates of merit from an attorney and a mental health practitioner. For abuse on or after January 1, 2024 there is no time limit. SB 577 may change the rules for older claims, so ask soon.
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