San Bernardino, CA – Arias Sanguinetti obtained a $9 million verdict on behalf of a woman identified as Jane Doe against Rialto Unified School District for the abuse she suffered at the hands of former Eisenhower High School music instructor Andres “Andy” Luna. The school district was found 60% liable for the verdict. The lawsuit was filed over allegations that school administrators should have known of Luna’s sexual misconduct towards female students for years prior to Jane Doe who was assaulted multiple times her senior year of high school.
The lawsuit outlines how Luna used his position as a trusted teacher to groom and sexually assault Jane Doe during the 1994–1995 school year. The abuse occurred multiple times at Luna’s private residence, where he lured her under the false pretense of “modeling” lingerie he claimed to have purchased for a fiancée, who was also a former student.
“What happened to our client is horrifying,” said attorney Jamie Goldstein of Arias Sanguinetti. “But what’s equally disturbing is that administrators received complaints of Luna’s behavior years before our client was assaulted and did absolutely nothing. Instead of protecting children, the Rialto School District protected a predator.”
Multiple students reported Luna’s inappropriate conduct to school officials. Yet no investigation was conducted, and he was never disciplined. In fact, students were told their names would be disclosed to Luna if they chose to pursue a formal complaint, which effectively silenced some of them.
“This case represents an egregious failure of institutional responsibility,” said Elise Sanguinetti. “The District had every opportunity to stop this abuse and protect its students. Instead, it chose to ignore the warnings and shield a man who was bringing them choir trophies while systematically destroying young lives.”
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The trial detailed chilling accounts from multiple witnesses who described Luna’s pattern of grooming, manipulation, and sexual misconduct, ranging from inappropriate touching and explicit comments to rape. Several students testified that Luna spent time alone in his office with female students, made comments about girls bodies, wrote sexually explicit messages in girls’ yearbooks, transported students off campus in his personnel vehicle and inappropriately touched female students.
The case is Jane Doe v. Rialto Unified School District, Case No. CIVSB2228926, in San Bernardino County Superior Court, Department S25, in front of Judge Apaloo.
Various media outlets reported on the story, below are some links:
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Arias Sanguinetti is a nationally respected litigation firm advocating for survivors of sexual abuse, civil rights violations, and institutional negligence. With decades of experience holding powerful entities accountable, the firm is committed to securing justice for the most vulnerable.
