Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Green Elementary assault trial starts today

Girls allegedly preyed on special-needs student

A civil trial begins today (January 30) in a molestation case of a special-needs student who was allegedly assaulted by three older students inside a bathroom at Green Elementary School in San Carlos. The lawsuit alleges that the school's principal, Bruce Ferguson, failed to report the incident to the district.

The mother of a then-seven-year-old girl, Latoya (last name withheld), sued the San Diego Unified School District and Ferguson in September 2015. The complaint alleges that in May 2015, while in a stall inside the girls' bathroom, Latoya's daughter was approached by three older girls. The girls, according to a report by the San Diego Union-Tribune, took turns fondling the younger girl's genitals. In a separate incident, nearly one year later, a different student slid underneath the stall to watch the girl use the restroom. The mother met with Ferguson to report the incidents. She says that the principal did nothing in response.

Sponsored
Sponsored

In 2013, another assault occurred in the boys' bathroom at Green Elementary when a kindergarten boy allegedly forced oral copulation on a classmate. Shortly after the incident, the district launched an investigation. The investigator, Michael Gurrieri, who looked into the matter found that the principal had failed to report similar incidents, reportedly discovered evidence that the principal, Ferguson, was known to drink on the job and was experiencing personal problems.

Gurrieri submitted a 32-page report on the incidents. But district officials, including superintendent Cindy Marten, asked that he edit the report by omitting previous incidents of sexual abuse and any allegations that Ferguson consumed alcohol during school hours. Gurrieri objected and was later fired. In September 2015, Gurrieri sued the district for wrongful termination.

It was later revealed that after the alleged incidents, district officials transferred Ferguson from his position as principal and moved him to San Diego Unified's Office of Language Acquisition. During a deposition in Gurrieri's case, superintendent Marten testified that she was not aware of the assaults or of any allegations that Ferguson was drinking on the job. Marten, however, did admit to being aware of district lead counsel Andra Donovan's decision not to classify the forced oral copulation as sexual harassment. The decision prevented having to report the incident to state officials and authorities.

Gurrieri's case is heading to trial. Opening remarks in the special-needs girl's trial are expected to take place in judge Joan Lewis's department.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

At 4pm, this Farmer's Table restaurant in Chula Vista becomes Acqua e Farina

Brunch restaurant by day, Roman style trattoria by night

A civil trial begins today (January 30) in a molestation case of a special-needs student who was allegedly assaulted by three older students inside a bathroom at Green Elementary School in San Carlos. The lawsuit alleges that the school's principal, Bruce Ferguson, failed to report the incident to the district.

The mother of a then-seven-year-old girl, Latoya (last name withheld), sued the San Diego Unified School District and Ferguson in September 2015. The complaint alleges that in May 2015, while in a stall inside the girls' bathroom, Latoya's daughter was approached by three older girls. The girls, according to a report by the San Diego Union-Tribune, took turns fondling the younger girl's genitals. In a separate incident, nearly one year later, a different student slid underneath the stall to watch the girl use the restroom. The mother met with Ferguson to report the incidents. She says that the principal did nothing in response.

Sponsored
Sponsored

In 2013, another assault occurred in the boys' bathroom at Green Elementary when a kindergarten boy allegedly forced oral copulation on a classmate. Shortly after the incident, the district launched an investigation. The investigator, Michael Gurrieri, who looked into the matter found that the principal had failed to report similar incidents, reportedly discovered evidence that the principal, Ferguson, was known to drink on the job and was experiencing personal problems.

Gurrieri submitted a 32-page report on the incidents. But district officials, including superintendent Cindy Marten, asked that he edit the report by omitting previous incidents of sexual abuse and any allegations that Ferguson consumed alcohol during school hours. Gurrieri objected and was later fired. In September 2015, Gurrieri sued the district for wrongful termination.

It was later revealed that after the alleged incidents, district officials transferred Ferguson from his position as principal and moved him to San Diego Unified's Office of Language Acquisition. During a deposition in Gurrieri's case, superintendent Marten testified that she was not aware of the assaults or of any allegations that Ferguson was drinking on the job. Marten, however, did admit to being aware of district lead counsel Andra Donovan's decision not to classify the forced oral copulation as sexual harassment. The decision prevented having to report the incident to state officials and authorities.

Gurrieri's case is heading to trial. Opening remarks in the special-needs girl's trial are expected to take place in judge Joan Lewis's department.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gonzo Report: Goose may have indie vibes, but they’re still a jam band

Fans turn out in force for show at SDSU
Next Article

The danger of San Diego's hoarders

The $1 million Flash Comics #1
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader