CHICO, Calif., July 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mary Alexander of Mary Alexander & Associates and co-counsel Bobby Thompson of Thompson Law Offices obtained a total of $4.9 million in two settlements against Chico Unified School District in a pair of school sex abuse cases involving the same middle school teacher.

Ms. Alexander and Mr. Thompson represented two plaintiffs who were middle school students at Bidwell Junior High School. Both students were sexually abused by Jennifer Smith, a teacher at the school for several years. Smith was convicted of several counts of child sexual abuse, was originally sentenced to five years in state prison, and was ordered to register as a sex offender.

According to the complaints, Smith was the school's Spanish teacher and began grooming these girls when they were only 13 years old. Smith sexually abused these girls at different times, demonstrating a pattern the school should have recognized over the course of several years. Smith purposefully sought both girls out because she recognized they were vulnerable. She groomed both of them, showing them special attention, encouraging them to have lunch in her classroom and more.

In both of these cases, Smith transitioned from showing these girls special attention to spending time alone with them, fondling their bodies, exposing herself to them, and ultimately committing sexual acts on or with them.

Chico Unified School District ignored multiple red flags according to the complaint, including failing to perform proper background checks on Jennifer Smith which would have turned up a past DUI arrest and conviction. When the school learned that one of the girls was spending far too much time with Jennifer Smith, she was simply given a written reprimand. The school ignored more than a dozen red flags over the course of a decade, which included several students and staff members pointing out a host of inappropriate behavior between Smith and her victims.

"It's terrible that these young women had to endure years of sexual abuse at the hands of someone they should have been able to trust," said school sex abuse attorney Mary Alexander. "The school's staff and administration turned a blind eye while this monster sexually abused these young girls. Jennifer Smith was not only allowed to abuse these girls, but she was also let out of prison early. My clients now spend their time looking over their shoulders as this sexual predator is roaming the streets once more. I'm grateful for this settlement which will allow them to get the counseling they need, but Chico Unified School District must change its behavior to make sure no other teacher is ever allowed to sexually abuse a student ever again."

The lawsuits are:

Jane Doe v. Chico Unified School District, Butte County Superior Court, Case No. 21 CV00762

Jane Doe 2 v. Chico Unified School District, Butte County Superior Court, Case No. 22CV01014

About Mary Alexander & Associates

Child sexual abuse causes lifelong scars both physically and emotionally. Mary Alexander & Associates has a long, successful track record of representing the survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She has a compassionate commitment to help them and hold institutions accountable for allowing the abuse to occur. She fights to return the loss of power that survivors feel which demands justice. She has 40 years of experience in sexual assault cases and the battle to protect children.

About TLO Law

Bobby Thompson solely represents individuals harmed by the irresponsible and careless conduct of others. Bobby's mission is to hold responsible corporations, institutions and insurance companies that place profits over the safety of others. His philosophy is to do everything in his power to obtain justice. Above all, Bobby leaves nothing to chance in developing the facts to prove the wrongdoer's liability, and in assembling the evidence to prove every component of his client's damages.

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SOURCE Mary Alexander & Associates