A 12-year-old student has filed a lawsuit against a Diegueño Middle School staffer and the coastal North County school district where he worked. The student alleges various causes, including intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.
A lawsuit was recently filed in San Diego Superior Court, focusing on the San Dieguito Union High School District and former campus supervisor Omar Hernandez Galeana. Galeana is currently facing criminal charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a child in March.
Galeana appeared in Vista Superior Court to face a total of 12 charges. Among these charges are two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 years old. If convicted, Galeana could potentially face a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
Additional charges involve engaging in inappropriate acts with a minor and providing marijuana to an underage individual. The defendant has entered a plea of not guilty.
The district stated on Friday that it had not yet received the lawsuit and was unable to provide any comment at this time. However, they did confirm that upon learning of the allegations last spring, they promptly took action to terminate the individual’s employment and collaborated with law enforcement to gather the necessary facts for the pursuit of justice.
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The statement also expressed optimism that justice will be served in this situation. The district also requested that individuals with information about the case reach out to the Sheriff’s Department’s Child Abuse Unit.
Galeana is currently in custody, and it remains uncertain whether he has sought legal representation for the civil case. The defense attorney representing him in the criminal case chose not to provide a statement.
The lawsuit claims that school officials were fully aware of Galeana’s excessive involvement with the girl and other children. Additionally, it claims that the child was subjected to molestation in various locations, including both within and outside of the school.
In addition, it is claimed that Galeana “bragged” to the girl and other students about receiving a formal warning from school district staff for previous misbehavior.
According to attorney Morgan Stewart, who is representing the girl in the civil suit, his law firm’s investigation has revealed that individuals had reported the staffer’s inappropriate behavior towards females.
Galeana’s employment at the school lasted approximately three months, according to school officials.
During Galeana’s arraignment on March 27, the prosecutor revealed that Galeana had contacted several minors using the messaging app WhatsApp. “He frequently communicated with the juveniles and would request them to delete their text messages due to the potential legal consequences,” Deputy District Nereida Bowman stated during that period.
Galeana was taken into custody in March and is currently being held in jail without the possibility of bail. He is scheduled to appear in court in October for a hearing related to the criminal case. The defendant’s preliminary hearing is still pending, where a judge will assess the evidence to decide if a trial is warranted.
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune