By Bianca Reyes, Center Spread Editor
On February 1st, two former students from Taylor Middle School filed a lawsuit in San Mateo County Superior Court against the Millbrae School District, alleging that they were both sexually assaulted by a past teacher and that the school failed to intervene.
The lawsuit details that the school employed Ethel Molina who, according to The Mercury News, “engaged in inappropriate contact, including groping at least two of the seventh-grade students in the 2013 to 2014 school year.” Following the incident, the plaintiffs claim that they attempted to file a complaint with the school office. However, the school failed to act, because, according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys Robert Thompson and Kristen Vierhaus, they told the former students that “[Molina] was not coming back next year anyway.”
Nearly eight years later, the plaintiffs have filed a suit against both the school and its district for “negligently fail[ing] to monitor and supervise” the situation. Superintendent Debra French told the SF Chronicle on Monday evening that they had yet to be served with the lawsuit and that she plans to investigate the allegations once served. She also added that, “[the] Millbrae Elementary School District is deeply committed to fostering positive learning environments, preparing our students for success and ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of all students entrusted to our care. We do not tolerate any behavior that undermines those values.”
This is not the first time that the middle school has encountered this situation before though. Nearly four years prior, Heather Butts, a former drama and English teacher at the school, was arrested on the suspicion of committing lewd acts with a 15-year-old high school student. Similar to the lawsuit filed on the first, several students went to the middle school office to report the abuse, however, the suit claims that the alleged abuse was not reported to child welfare services or local law enforcement.
Madison Wong (12), a former student from Taylor Middle School, reflected briefly about the situation when she was a student under Butts. “I had her in [the] 7th grade, and during weekend or after school rehearsals, the girl who she had a relationship with (who was a freshman at Mills during the time) always visited. They were always really touchy, but [Butts] got along with everyone […] so nobody really saw it as a red flag.” She then continues on, revisiting those memories after the news broke about Butts, saying, “Now looking back at it, their relationship was a little too close and I’m surprised [that] I didn’t see it coming.”
Currently, the victims of the lawsuit are seeking compensation for psychotherapy and general damages due to trauma. An incident of this magnitude is one that will ripple throughout the community as a whole, and we can only hope that it will be dealt with appropriately. Although we don’t yet know what’s in store for any of the parties involved in the current lawsuit, The Thunderbolt plans to monitor the situation and provide any updates as they come.
