Clovis student says alleged locker room assault left him traumatized. Now he’s suing
The Clovis Unified School District is being sued by a student who alleges he was bullied, harassed and physically assaulted last year while on the campus of Clovis West High.
In his lawsuit, filed Tuesday, the student says the attack took place on Sept. 21 inside the boys locker room at Clovis West and in the presence of multiple students.
The alleged assault left him traumatized, in emotional distress and humiliated, according to the lawsuit. He is seeking financial damages and is represented by the Baradat & Paboojian law firm in Fresno.
“Plaintiff was coerced into the boys locker room at Clovis West High School during regularly scheduled school hours. Against his will, Plaintiff was attacked: pinned, his pants were pulled down and he was hit, spanked and digitally penetrated in the anus,” the lawsuit states.
The incident was video recorded on a cell phone and then shared with other students and the public.
Clovis Unified School District officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.
‘The District does not comment on active litigation given that we do not want to interfere in any way with the process now underway through the legal system,” said Kelly Avants, Clovis Unified School District spokesperson, said Friday.
Fresno police investigated the allegations and turned their case over to the Fresno County District Attorney’s office in October to review for possible charges.
DA spokesman Jerry Stanley said Friday that the office is “unable to comment on matters that may involved juveniles or juvenile proceedings.”
Lawyers for the student claim the school district knew the incident was recorded on video. But the suit says the district failed to protect the alleged victim by not obtaining the video or trying to prevent it from spreading throughout the school.
The lawsuit also claims the students involved in the incident have a history of “misconduct, including but not limited to, physically harassing and assaulting other CUSD students and behaving in a violent manner.”
The district is being sued for negligence, negligent hiring, negligent infliction of emotional distress and battery.
This story was originally published May 7, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
