A 33-year-old man who alleges he was molested by his English teacher while he was a student at Northview High School in Covina can move forward with his sexual harassment claim against the Covina-Valley Unified School District, a judge has ruled.
Pomona Superior Court Judge Thomas R. Falls heard arguments on the district’s motion to dismiss the sexual harassment cause of action on Oct. 3, took the case under submission and ruled on Monday.
Attorneys for the district maintained that their client could not be legally held liable for former teacher Kimberly Northrup’s alleged misconduct, but they did not challenge the plaintiff’s other claims for negligence, negligent supervision and retention and sexual battery.
The plaintiff was enrolled in Northrup’s class during his sophomore year in 2004-05 and she began grooming him while appearing sympathetic to difficulties he was having at home, the suit states.
“Northrop targeted plaintiff for sexual grooming based upon this information and the emotional, psychological and physical vulnerability it created,” the suit states.
Northrup asked the plaintiff to be alone with her at lunch and after school in order to discuss his home life and ask personal questions, according to the suit, which further states that the first sexual encounter allegedly occurred in her locked classroom about a week or two after the grooming started.
“Despite this obvious red flag behavior, defendant CVUSD failed to take any action, which allowed Northrop continued and consistent access to Plaintiff to further her abuse,” the suit states.
After Northrup’s alleged sexual abuse of the plaintiff and two other students became “open and obvious,” she resigned in 2007 because of multiple rumors that she was sleeping with students, the suit states.
Despite no longer being employed at Northview High School, Northrop attended the plaintiff*s high school graduation ceremony, the suit states. Even after he turned 18 years old, Northrup continued to “manipulate plaintiff into engaging in a further emotionally damaging personal and sexual relationship for several more years,” according to the suit.