EspañolFormer Flag Football Coach at Vincent Memorial High School in Calexico Stands Accused of Sexually Abusing Two Underage Students
CALEXICO, CALIFORNIA (October 13, 2026) – A former flag football coach at Vincent Memorial High School in Calexico has been arrested following allegations that he sexually abused two minor students.
Calexico officials are saying that the defendant was arrested on Monday on suspicion of rape and sexual intercourse with a minor. Authorities said that the two victims were students at the school.
They were also notified of the alleged abuse in March 2026. An investigation was started after the coach allegedly approached a student and made inappropriate comments before touching her.
This was followed by another student who came forward with an accusation. She told authorities that the coach made sexual remarks towards her as well and committed sexual assault against her.
The defendant has since been booked into the Imperial County Jail. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for Sexual Abuse in California Schools
Schools in California have a legal obligation to protect students from foreseeable sources of harm. This includes protecting them from sexual abuse at the hands of teachers and coaches. When a school fails to adequately enforce rules or supervise a student who is sexually abused, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. Teachers are also mandated reporters and have a legal obligation to report any reasonably suspected incident of abuse that they encounter. Courts will take into consideration numerous factors when evaluating liability for any instance of sexual abuse in a school setting.
- Misconduct History: Courts will consider whether the suspect had a history of misconduct allegations.
- Oversight Policies: Courts will consider whether the school had adequate oversight policies related to students.
- Warning Signs: Courts will consider whether or not there were warning signs involving any suspect prior to any instance of abuse.
- Employment Screening: Courts will also consider whether a school properly reviewed a perpetrator’s employment history prior to hiring them.
Depending on the unique facts of any case, a school district could be liable for any instance where a student is sexually abused by a faculty member. Consider, for example, C.A. v. William S. Hart Union High School District. That case involved a student who was allegedly sexually abused by a guidance counselor at their high school. Attorneys for the plaintiff argued that the school is liable for the incident because supervisory personnel either knew or should have known about the defendant’s dangerous conduct and nonetheless failed to protect the victim.
Protecting Students From Abuse and Seeking Accountability
Sexual abuse at schools across California in the United States remains very 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.” The CDC has estimated that roughly one in four girls and one in 20 boys in the United States experience sexual abuse at some point during adolescence. Schools should take a number of different actions to prevent sexual abuse.
- Observable Interactions: Schools should make all interactions between students and faculty observable.
- Communication Boundaries: Schools should set communication boundaries between school faculty and students.
- Staff Training: Schools should train teachers to identify signs that sexual abuse or misconduct is taking place.
- Reporting Options: Schools should provide accessible reporting options that allow abuse or misconduct to be discovered.
Sexual abuse in any school setting is often highly preventable. It tends to be the consequence of numerous safety lapses. This can include allowing teachers to remain isolated with individual students for extended periods. By the time any teacher or coach is arrested for sexual abuse, there were likely dozens of red flags that were missed. Victims of sexual abuse are protected by a number of laws. They’re able to seek some measure of accountability through a personal injury claim.
Getting Legal Help for School Sexual Abuse in California
We at the Carrillo Law Firm were very concerned to hear about the alleged sexual abuse at Vincent Memorial High School in Calexico. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. These allegations raise a number of important safety considerations that need to be addressed. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent similar incidents at this school and across the county.
Do you need more information about school sexual abuse in Calexico? Our team of experienced school sexual abuse attorneys is here for you. We have consistently achieved some of the highest verdicts and settlements for the victims of sexual abuse across California. Whether you just have legal questions or are wondering how an attorney might be able to help with your unique case, we may be able to assist you. You are always welcome to contact us anytime for a risk-free case evaluation at 626-799-9375.
