Alum Rock Union Elementary School District Accused of Concealing Teacher's Sexual Abuse

Lawsuit Claims School Staff and Interim Superintendent Failed to Report Abuse

Eleven victims have filed a lawsuit against the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District in East San José, California, alleging that current interim superintendent Imee Almazan and former staff members conspired to cover up sexual abuse by Israel Santiago, a retired music instructor at Adelante Dual Language Academy. Santiago is currently serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing 10 students at the school. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, June 12, claims that school staff and administrators were aware of Santiago’s inappropriate behavior but chose not to notify the police despite being mandatory reporters required by law to report all known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. This is the fourth lawsuit against the school district since Santiago was charged in 2022.

5 Key Points

• Eleven victims allege that the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District conspired to hide a teacher’s sexual abuse.
• Israel Santiago, a former music instructor, is currently serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing 10 students.
• A 2014 investigation documented multiple complaints of inappropriate touching by Santiago, leading to his transfer to another school.
• The lawsuit claims that interim superintendent Imee Almazan and former staff were aware of the abuse but did not report it to the police.
• The victims’ attorney alleges a “clear conspiracy” to cover up the abuse and keep it quiet.

2014 Investigation Documented Complaints, Led to Teacher’s Transfer

In 2014, Imee Almazan, then principal at Sheppard Middle School, investigated complaints against Israel Santiago. After interviewing 15 students, Almazan found “an overall discomfort and insecurity in Mr. Santiago’s band class among female students.” The investigation documented allegations of inappropriate touching and behavior by Santiago, including physically moving female students and asking a parent to drop off their child at his house.

Despite these findings, Almazan recommended that Santiago be transferred to another school within the district rather than reporting the allegations to law enforcement. Santiago continued to teach for nearly a decade before being charged with sexually abusing 10 students at Adelante Dual Language Academy.

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Lawsuit Alleges Conspiracy to Cover Up Abuse

The recent lawsuit alleges that former Alum Rock superintendent Stephen Fiss instructed staff not to call law enforcement in response to the complaints against Santiago. A draft of the investigative report prepared by the school included in the suit reads, “Superintendent Fiss did not want me to contact the police regarding this matter at this time,” with a handwritten note next to it saying, “Delete.”

The victims’ attorney, Morgan Stewart, argues that there was a “clear conspiracy” to cover up the abuse and keep it quiet. “He’s touching females. He’s making them uncomfortable. He’s acting in a sexually inappropriate manner with 12- and 13-year-olds. And there’s a direction from the superintendent not to call the police on that,” Stewart said.

Victims and Families Devastated by School’s Alleged Actions

Most of the victims in the recent lawsuit are under 14 years old, with two in their 20s. The attorney representing the victims noted that the Adelante Dual Language Academy and the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District serve predominantly Hispanic and lower-income families who trust the schools to provide a safe environment for their children.

“It’s devastating,” Stewart said, “And I don’t even know that the parents fully grasp everything that the school did to harm them all along the way.” The lawsuit highlights the importance of mandatory reporting and the severe consequences when school administrators and staff fail to protect students from sexual abuse.