Second student files sexual molestation claim against popular teacher at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles
Despite persistent reports of abuse, LA district defends teacher
(Los Angeles, CA) A former student of a popular teacher at a Los Angeles high school filed a sex abuse lawsuit today alleging that the award-winning music instructor sexually molested him over a two year period starting in 1997.
Vance Miller, the Hamilton High School teacher named as a defendant in the current lawsuit, was previously sued in April of 2011 by another former student who claims he was abused over several years starting in 1996. In addition, two other students who were abused by Miller in 2009/2010 came forward to police as part of a criminal investigation conducted in March and April of 2011.
According to all four complaints, Miller regularly engaged in a practice of massaging, kissing and hugging students in class, and inviting students out to a local gym, or out for dinners.
Anthony DeMarco, a Pasadena attorney specializing in child sexual abuse cases, who works with the prominent clergy abuse attorney Jeff Anderson and is representing the two plaintiffs, said “evidence collected from the former students clearly paints a very disturbing picture of a serial pedophile who for at least 14 years used his classroom at Hamilton High School to groom and sexually abuse students.”
DeMarco added, “Contrary to their mandate of protecting the safety of children the Los Angeles Unified School District has engaged in a practice of protecting and defending sexually abusive teachers, covering up complaints and paying for the defense of credibly accused teachers.”
As recently as July of 2011, in spite of a lawsuit having been filed against Miller, the LAUSD denied having any awareness of complaints of abuse. In May of 2011, despite numerous credible allegations that Miller had targeted and molested his students, the Los Angeles Unified School District decided to side with Miller and pay for attorneys to defend him.
Copies of the current claim, prior lawsuit, police investigation, picture of Vance Miller, and other material related to the cases can be found at www.demarcolawfirm.com and www.abusedinsocal.com.