BERKELEY, Calif., Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Attorney Mary Alexander filed a lawsuit against Berkeley Unified School District on behalf of a former student who alleges that one of his elementary school teachers sexually abused him during the 1996–1997 school year.
The complaint, filed July 23 in Alameda County Superior Court, identifies the plaintiff as John Doe P.P. to protect his privacy. The lawsuit alleges that teacher Lynn Scott groomed and sexually abused the plaintiff while he attended fourth grade at Le Conte Elementary School, now known as Sylvia Mendez Elementary School.
According to the complaint, Mr. Scott taught a computer class that the plaintiff attended multiple times each day. Mr. Scott gained the child’s trust by befriending him, paying him special attention and exploiting his vulnerability before beginning to touch him sexually during class. The computer lab’s physical layout helped conceal the abuse as the large computer screens blocked the view of children seated behind them, allowing Mr. Scott to touch the plaintiff and other male students without detection.
“Parents send their children to school with the fundamental expectation that teachers and administrators will protect them,” said Ms. Alexander. “Berkeley Unified School District failed in that responsibility and left a vulnerable fourth-grade child exposed to repeated sexual abuse by a trusted teacher. Schools cannot ignore warning signs, reports of inappropriate conduct or circumstances that place children at risk.”
According to the lawsuit, Berkeley Unified School District employees knew or should have known that Mr. Scott behaved inappropriately toward the plaintiff and other male students. The complaint further states that school employees failed to properly supervise Mr. Scott, investigate his conduct, restrict his access to children or take other reasonable measures to protect students.
The plaintiff reported Mr. Scott’s conduct to school employees, but the district failed to take appropriate action, according to the complaint. Berkeley Unified School District allowed Mr. Scott to remain in a position of trust and authority, giving him continued access to the plaintiff and other children.
“Schools must act immediately when a child reports inappropriate touching by a teacher,” Ms. Alexander added. “The district employees failed to investigate, failed to report suspected abuse and failed to stop a teacher from continuing to have access to children. Those failures caused lifelong harm.”
The plaintiff, now 39, alleges that the abuse caused lasting psychological and emotional injuries, including post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, humiliation, loss of self-esteem and loss of enjoyment of life. The complaint alleges that Berkeley Unified School District bears responsibility for the negligent acts and omissions of its administrators, teachers, supervisors and other employees acting within the scope of their employment.
The allegations in the complaint have not yet been proven in court. Berkeley Unified School District will have an opportunity to respond.
The case is John Doe P.P. v. Berkeley Unified School District, Alameda Superior Court, Case No. 26CV200821.
Mary Alexander & Associates, P.C. represents survivors of childhood sexual abuse in cases involving schools, religious institutions, youth organizations and other entities entrusted with protecting children.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mary-alexander-files-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-against-berkeley-unified-school-district-302842867.html
SOURCE Mary Alexander & Associates
