Teacher Still Employed by Anaheim Unified School District, Teaching at Katella High School with Access to Minors
(Anaheim, CA) – On behalf of courageous survivor Krystal Slocum, attorneys from the law firms of Jeff Anderson & Associates and Greenberg Gross filed a lawsuit against Savanna High School and the Anaheim Unified School District, identifying a teacher who is accused of child sexual abuse. The case was filed under the California Child Victims Act (AB 218), a law that temporarily allows survivors of child sexual abuse to file civil cases that were previously barred by the statute of limitations.
In 2000 – 2001, Slocum was a student in her sophomore year at Savanna High School and was approximately 15 years old. It was during this time that Sepe began grooming Slocum. Additionally, Slocum and several other girls would often spend time and eat lunch in Sepe’s classroom. It was well-known on campus that Sepe had “groupies,” all of whom were young female students.
Sepe used his position of authority to groom and sexually assault Slocum repeatedly, sometimes on-campus and sometimes in other locations, including his apartment. Sepe’s consistent grooming, coercion, and flagrant favoritism convinced her that Sepe loved her and that they were in a “relationship.” Additionally, Slocum kept a diary. Many of her diary entries show the struggles many survivors face when experiencing the aftermath of trauma. In one such entry, Slocum discussed walking out of a classroom while Sepe calls out to her multiple times, trying to get her attention. She reports how Sepe using her name made her suddenly feel physically ill. She recalls seeing him caused her to be “in hysterics.”
“Anaheim Union High School District failed Ms. Slocum and others. Adult staff members were on notice of inappropriate behavior and chose not to act, failing to protect students under their care,” said attorney Jemma Dunn. “Moreover, the failure to act allowed Sepe to continue his predatory behavior endangering countless female students. The District’s decision to keep Mr. Sepe on staff evidences decades of indifference to the abuse suffered by their students.”
Despite AUHSD having strong suspicions of inappropriate behavior by Sepe, it appears that David Sepe is still currently employed by Anaheim Unified High School District, and works as a teacher at Katella High School.
“Lawsuits like these make children safer. By stepping forward, this brave survivor shined a light on the child safety nightmare that exists when schools value reputation over truth,” said attorney Mike Reck. “This survivor is not only freeing herself from shame and secrecy, she is forcing the institutions responsible to face their failures and do better for all children. The thought that until this lawsuit an accused perpetrator continued to enjoy unfettered access to children is something that no one should have to accept ever again.”