EspañolLos Angeles Schoolteacher Colleen Jo Matarico, of Valley Village, Accused of Molesting Minor Student In Car and Classroom at John Burroughs Middle School
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (November 7, 2024) – A Los Angeles schoolteacher at John Burroughs Middle School identified as Colleen Jo Matarico is being charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old student.
Los Angeles Police Department detectives arrested the defendant on Thursday. Colleen Jo Matarico is accused of giving a 13-year-old student marijuana and repeatedly sexually abusing the child.
The LAPD are looking into the possibility that there may be additional victims. Authorities believe that the sexual assaults took place in her classroom and her vehicle.
Colleen Jo Matarico has been described as a special education teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District. She is currently being held on a $1.3 million bail.
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Los Angeles County School Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse of schoolchildren remains alarmingly common in the United States. Certain groups of children remain much more vulnerable than others. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, “Children with disabilities are three times more likely than children without them to be victims of sexual abuse, and the likelihood is even higher for children with intellectual or mental health disabilities.” Schools should take a number of measures to protect special needs children from sexual abuse.
- Schools should ensure that all teachers and employees undergo thorough background checks.
- School teachers and employees should be trained to recognize the signs of abuse.
- Schools should have clear, accessible, and confidential reporting procedures.
- Schools should understand the factors that lead to sexual victimization and predation.
Schools have a legal obligation to protect students from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes sexual abuse at the hands of school teachers. When a school has actual or constructive knowledge that a teacher poses a risk of harm to students, school officials must take action. As outlined in Virginia G. v. ABC Unified School District (1993) 15 Cal.App.4th 1848, schools can be liable for the sexual assault of a student if teachers knew (or should have known) about that teacher’s history of sexual abuse and failed to act. There are a number of ways that a school may have failed to adequately protect a student from sexual abuse.
- A school may have allowed unsupervised one-on-one interactions between staff and students.
- A school may have failed to follow up on reports of inappropriate conduct involving a teacher.
- School officials may have ignored or dismissed warning signs that abuse was taking place.
- A school may have failed to follow established protocols for preventing child sexual abuse.
The vast majority of school sexual abuse is preventable. By the time any teacher is arrested for sexual abuse, there are often dozens of red flags that were missed. In far too many situations, there may be multiple victims over a period of many years. Sadly, though, schools will often do everything in their power to deny abuse that took place in their care. This is why it is so important for victims of sexual abuse to seek the advice of a skilled school sexual abuse attorney.
Investigating Los Angeles County School Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP were deeply concerned to hear about the alleged misconduct of Colleen Jo Matarico at John Burroughs Middle School. Any person who may have more information should reach out to the LAPD. It is our sincere hope that measures are taken to further protect all of the students at this school from sexual abuse and other crimes.
Have you or someone that you care about been sexually abused by a teacher at John Burroughs Middle School? You may have legal recourse. Our team of school sexual abuse attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that victims of sexual abuse are aware of their rights and that schools are held accountable for their misconduct. 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.
