money Victor Elementary School District pays out $3.6 million in sexual abuse settlement
A $3.6 million settlement was reached between six victims of a former Del Ray Elementary School teacher and Victor Elementary School District, according to attorneys for the victims.
The lawsuit also named the former teacher, Rogelio Cardenas, as a defendant. The Victorville man was convicted in 2008 of sexual abuse of multiple children and served seven years in prison. He is currently a registered sex offender.
“Cardenas was allowed to continuously molest and sexually assault children as young as 10 in his classroom throughout a 16-year period,” said the victim’s attorney Morgan Stewart. “The amount of this settlement highlights the abject failure of the school administration and the district to protect children from this monster.”
School district spokesman Eric Camarena confirmed that the district board of trustees "recently approved a settlement from incidents that occurred decades ago." Approximately $600,000 of the settlement was paid out of pocket by the school district, the balance was paid by the district’s insurance carrier, according to court records.
“We hope this will result in the best possible outcome for all parties involved,” Camarena said. “We remain committed to providing all our students with a safe and engaging learning environment.”
Del Rey Elementary School protest
In January 2007, 17 students at Del Rey Elementary School said Cardenas, a 60-year-old first grade teacher at that time, had molested them.
During that time, a group of 40 parents and children held signs outside the school in protest of Cardenas, and also against the school and district, which they claimed failed to protect the students, ages 6 to 13.
After the protest, Parent Teacher Association President Alexandra Zavala told the Daily Press that “no kid should be left behind, and the little ones did get left behind because nobody was there when they needed help.”
Then PTA Treasurer India Valenzuela said she and fellow protestors had a host of complaints about the school’s administration, including an alleged lack of concern regarding a 2005 case of a purported sexual penetration and bullying of a boy by two classmates.
Cardenas turned himself over to San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies after a complaint by a 6-year-old girl led to a warrant for his arrest. The girl alleged she was touched inappropriately while attending the school.
That same month, Cardenas pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14.
Victorville Sheriff’s officials said Cardenas was under investigation in connection with 15 more instances where students at the school reported a teacher touched them in a sexual manner.
Cardenas was convicted the following year.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Victor Elementary School District pays $3.6 million in sexual abuse case
