EspañolAmerican Canyon High School Track Coach Brad Rowell (Full Name: Brad Matthew Rowell) Facing 21 Felony Counts of Sexual Abuse Involving Student
AMERICAN CANYON, CALIFORNIA (April 15, 2024) – An American Canyon High School track coach identified as Brad Rowell has been arrested on numerous child sexual assault charges.
Napa County officials are saying that the track coach was detained at 7:00 a.m. on a non-bail warrant by his home in Sonoma. Brad Rowell has since been booked into the Napa County jail.
He is facing charges of unlawful intercourse with a minor and 12 counts of lewd acts with a minor younger than 14. Prior to being arrested, he worked as a physical education teacher and track coach at American Canyon High School for over a decade.
Brad Rowell has since been released on $100,000 bail. Anyone with more information about the actions of Brad Rowell should reach out to the American Canyon Police Department.
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For American Canyon Child Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse in a school setting is unfortunately all too common. According to neaToday, “there were 14,938 incidents of sexual violence in K–12 schools in 2017 – 2018 compared with 9,649 in 2015 – 2016, representing a 55 percent increase. These include incidents of rape or attempted rape and sexual assault.” Schools should take a number of measures to safeguard students from sexual assaults involving teachers.
- All schools should perform a thorough background check on all of the teachers and school employees they hire.
- All schools should thoroughly monitor students throughout the day.
- Schools should work to understand the factors that contribute to sexual victimization and predation.
- Schools should thoroughly investigate all instances of misconduct.
A school could potentially be liable for the sexual misconduct of one of their teachers. Schools have a legal obligation to properly monitor students and enforce all rules and regulations necessary for their protection. A school could even be held liable for the sexual abuse of students when the abuse took place off campus. Consider, for example, John R. v. Oakland Unified School District (1989). In that case, a 14-year-old student was allegedly sexually molested by a teacher while he was at the teacher’s apartment during an official, extracurricular program. Several steps should be taken after any instance of school sexual abuse.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- All communication between the victim and the perpetrator should be sought.
- The history of misconduct allegations against the teacher or school employee should be reviewed.
- An experienced teacher sexual abuse attorney should be contacted.
By the time any teacher is arrested for sexual misconduct, there were likely dozens of red flags that were missed. Teacher sexual abuse is rarely an isolated incident. By the time any teacher is eventually caught, there may be several or dozens of separate victims. That is why it is so important that there is a thorough investigation after sexual misconduct allegations. The family of any child that is sexually abused by a teacher may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim.
Investigating American Canyon High School Child Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP extend our best wishes to all of the people who may have been impacted by the actions of Brad Rowell. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what took place. What did school officials know and when did they know it. It is our sincere hope that there is accountability for the sake of all of those affected.
Have you or someone that you care about been impacted by sexual abuse at American Canyon High School? You may have legal recourse. Our team of teacher sexual abuse attorneys are here to answer any questions that you may have. We are committed to helping survivors understand their rights and holding school districts accountable for their neglect. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
