EspañolMatthew Solano, SoCal Teacher at Magnolia Junior High School, Facing Charges of Lewd and Lascivious Acts With a Child
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (August 13, 2025) – A teacher at Magnolia Junior High School identified as Matthew Solano was arrested for allegedly having inappropriate contact with two students.
San Bernardino County officials are saying that an investigation into the incident began on January 6. Chino police officials started to get reports about misconduct involving Matthew Solano.
The defendant was placed on administrative leave following the allegations. On July 10, 2025, Matthew Solano was taken into custody on suspicion of numerous crimes.
The district attorney’s office is accusing the defendant of engaging in lewd and lascivious acts with a child. He is also being accused of child annoyance.
A full investigation into all of the allegations remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for San Bernardino County School Sexual Abuse
Schools have a legal obligation to protect students from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes protecting them from sexual abuse at the hands of teachers and other school officials. 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 contributed to students being sexually abused in many different ways.
- Inadequate Screening: Schools may fail to conduct adequate background checks on teachers and other staff.
- Failure to Investigate: School officials may have ignored or inadequately investigated complaints of misconduct against certain teachers. It is common that schools don’t want to properly investigate misconduct claims because they are afraid it will harm their reputation.
- Student Isolation: Schools may have allowed individual students to be isolated with teachers, thereby increasing the risk that abuse will take place.
- Failure to Train: Schools may have failed to properly train teachers and staff to recognize the early signs of abuse, such as grooming behaviors.
Schools will virtually never admit that they did anything wrong if someone is sexually abused in their care. They will claim to have no knowledge of the suspect’s actions. But in far too many situations, it is the deliberate indifference of school officials that allows abuse and misconduct allegations to go unaddressed.
Steps to Take After Any Instance of School Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involving school officials remains a common problem across California and the United States. 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.” It is important that certain steps are taken after any instance of sexual abuse in a school setting.
- Medical Records: Abuse victims should seek a thorough medical evaluation and ask for any copies of medical records created.
- Police Report: The abuse should be reported to the police, who have the capacity to launch a formal investigation.
- Seek Legal Support: Abuse victims should seek the guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney. An attorney can take steps to ensure that relevant evidence is preserved and that schools are held fully accountable for their negligent actions.
Sexual abuse is one of the most harmful and destructive experiences that a child can go through. Survivors are often left with long-term trauma and are more susceptible to a variety of negative psychological and physical health outcomes. Any person that is sexually abused by a school official in San Bernardino County may be able to seek some measure of transparency, accountability, and justice through a civil claim.
Getting Legal Help After School Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm extend our best wishes to all of the students and families impacted by the actions of Matthew Solano. Any person with more information should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to make Magnolia Junior High School a safer place for all students.
Have you or someone that you care about been the victim of sexual abuse at Magnolia Junior High School? You may have legal recourse. Our team of highly experienced child sexual abuse attorneys is here for you. We can investigate all of the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know what your legal options are. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here to serve your needs. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
