EspañolGene Richard Griffith, Hesperia High School Wrestling Coach, Charged With Committing Lewd and Lascivious Acts With a Child
HESPERIA, CALIFORNIA (June 5, 2026) – A Hesperia High School wrestling coach identified as Gene Richard Griffith has been arrested on charges he sexually abused a child.
San Bernardino County officials are saying that the arrest came after an investigation into child sexual abuse. Authorities arrested Gene Richard Griffith one day after the investigation began.
He has since been booked into the High Desert Detention Center in San Bernardino. Authorities suspect that there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward.
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for San Bernardino County Sexual Abuse
Schools across California have a legal obligation to protect students from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes protecting students from sexual abuse by coaches and other employees. Consider, for example, Taylor v. Oakland Scavenger Co., 17 Cal. 2d 594 [110 P.2d 1044], “It is the duty of the school authorities to supervise at all times the conduct of the children on the school grounds and to enforce those rules and regulations necessary to their protection.” Schools may have acted negligently in a number of ways prior to any instance of sexual abuse.
- Hiring: School officials may fail to perform a proper background check on a teacher or coach.
- Complaints: School officials may fail to investigate complaints of misconduct against one of their employees.
- Isolation: School officials may allow a student to be isolated with an individual employee.
- Training: School officials may fail to provide employees with training to identify signs that misconduct is taking place.
If a school fails to properly monitor or care for a student who is sexually abused by a school employee, this could serve as evidence of negligence. In particular, courts will consider how reasonably forseeable any instance of harm was. When a school has actual or constructive notice that a coach poses a risk of harm to students, they must take action. So many instances of school sexual abuse involve schools that knew a certain teacher or coach posed a danger to students.
Steps to Take After Sexual Abuse Involving School Coaches
Sexual misconduct involving school coaches remains far too common. Moreover, much of the abuse that takes place involves multiple victims. According to the NBOA, “Of the coaches who were abusive, more than half (63%) abused multiple victims, with head coaches committing 83% of incidents of abuse within the study.” Certain steps should be taken after any instance of sexual abuse involving school coaches.
- All of the medical records related to the abuse should be collected.
- The police report created after any investigation should be sourced.
- The history of misconduct involving the teacher or coach should be reviewed.
- Parents should consider their legal options with a team experienced in sexual abuse claims.
Sexual abuse is highly preventable when schools take the time to properly vet employees. Unfortunately, many teachers and coaches will often look the other direction if they see misconduct in their midst. This is particularly common when teachers are well liked at the school. The parents of any child harmed by sexual abuse are able to seek some measure of accountability through a civil claim.
Investigating Hesperia School Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm extend our best wishes to all of the people who have been impacted by the actions of Gene Richard Griffith. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. There needs to be a thorough investigation into the potential scope of the misconduct.
Have you or a loved one been harmed by sexual abuse by a coach in California? You may have legal recourse. Our team of personal injury attorneys is here for you. We care deeply that abuse victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of assistance, we are here to serve your needs. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
