California Attorney General Secures Settlement with El Monte Union High School District Over Decades of Student Abuse

LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a sweeping settlement with the El Monte Union High School District on Wednesday, March 20, 2026, following an investigation into years of alleged sexual misconduct by faculty and staff and the district’s failure to adequately address complaints of abuse. The agreement mandates wide-ranging reforms aimed at preventing future incidents and supporting students in safe learning environments.

Investigation Details and Allegations

The investigation, initiated in 2024 after a Business Insider article detailed 40 years of alleged misconduct at Rosemead High School, revealed a pattern of grooming, sexual harassment, and assault involving at least 20 educators. Allegations included educators engaging in sexual relationships with students, with some cases involving multiple educators targeting the same student. One former student stated at a 2024 news conference, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, “It was my mentor that I turned to, and my mentor became my rapist.”

Settlement Terms and Reforms

The settlement requires the El Monte Union High School District to implement “wide-ranging reforms” to address sexual harassment and abuse on its campuses. These reforms include new training programs for staff, revised reporting protocols for allegations of misconduct, enhanced oversight mechanisms, and improved student support systems. Attorney General Bonta stated the reforms are designed to ensure that the “systemic failures” that allowed abuse to persist for years “never happen again,” according to ABC7.

Legislative Response: The Safe Learning Environments Act

The revelations spurred the passage of the Safe Learning Environments Act, authored by State Senator Sasha Renee Perez, which took effect earlier this year. This act strengthens reporting and accountability requirements for schools statewide.

Student Perspectives

Former Rosemead High student Leslie Gaitán expressed hope that the new measures will prevent future abuse, stating, “You had to look out for yourself whereas you were there, because no one else was going to protect you while you were there,” but added, “But I think with this change, hopefully this sort of behavior stops,” as reported by ABC7.

District Response

El Monte Union High School District officials declined an interview but released a written statement affirming their commitment to continuously improving responses to concerns and supporting students in safe learning environments. The district stated its efforts are “intended to strengthen safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environments across the District.”

Ongoing Monitoring

Attorney General Bonta’s office will closely monitor the El Monte Union High School District’s compliance with the stipulated judgment to ensure the prevention and cessation of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, as noted in a post on X.