Sexual assault of student by former Clovis teacher was ‘diabolical,’ judge says at sentencing
Former Clovis East High School teacher Kia Yang was sentenced Monday to five years and eight months for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student in 2004.
The former student, who is now 33, spoke in court during Yang’s sentencing, describing how her one-time World History teacher sexually preyed on her, destroying her life and dreams. She was identified in court only by her first name; The Bee does not typically name victims of sexual abuse.
She talked about how excited she was to go to a public school, like Clovis East, after having attended a small private school. She said she felt safe — after all, the school had its own campus police officer.
“I thought the campus was filled with trustworthy people,” she said. “But instead of being a safe haven, it became my place of death.”
Court documents show Yang, 45, assaulted her on multiple occasions, including fondling her breasts and touching her vagina when she was a sophomore. Yang is also accused of raping the former student while in his classroom.
“I tried to protect myself by wearing layers of clothing, but your attacks became more violent and two weeks before my 16th birthday you decided molesting and fondling wasn’t enough,” she said, fighting back tears. “I remember opening my mouth to scream and nothing came out. Everyday after school I remember trying to scrub my skin hard enough to try and erase anything you had touched.”
Her life was in a tailspin. The trauma of the assault caused her to lose focus and interest in school, ballet and playing piano. Her dream of becoming a doctor like her father withered away as her grades plummeted.
Her parents also expressed their sadness over what happened to their daughter. They saw her once bright future in medicine dim and fade away.
“This horrendous event has caused irreversible harm, both mentally and physically to her,” her father said. “And it’s caused harm to me and her mother and to her husband, their marriage and the future they once dreamed of.”
Victim testifies of suffering PTSD, depression, anxiety
As an adult, the mental and physical effects continue. She suffers from chronic post traumatic stress disorder, severe depression and anxiety. She also has developed chronic migraines and battled cervical cancer.
“I have been called paranoid, but once you have been raped and stalked, paranoia is just an unwelcome side effect,” she said.
During a preliminary hearing, the woman testified that she had mentally buried the assaults for years until recently when she began seeing a therapist.
Yang was arrested Jan. 28, 2021 and charged with seven felony counts of sexual assault, including rape. He did not speak during his sentencing hearing.
As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, Yang pleaded no contest to four counts of lewd and lascivious act on a 14- or 15-year-old in exchange for his sentence . The other charges were dropped.
Judge Alvin M. Harrell III said that while he understood why prosecutor Amber Kruggel didn’t want to subject the woman to a trial, he wished he could have given Yang more time in prison.
“It is inexplicable how someone can violate a position of trust, a teacher to a student, and put someone through that not once, not twice, but repeatedly,” Harrell said. “And not once have I heard any type of remorse or acknowledgment of what you have done to this family and probably your own family. Quite frankly, I don’t believe five years and eight months is sufficient time to punish you. What you have inflicted on this family is diabolical. I just don’t understand it.”
Civil lawsuit alleges teacher was abusing drugs
While the criminal case against Yang concludes, a civil lawsuit filed against Clovis Unified School District was filed on Dec. 19.
The lawsuit seeks financial damages and alleges the school district was negligent for not properly supervising Yang and not immediately reporting his questionable behavior.
The lawsuit alleges Yang was using methamphetamines and experiencing mental health issues during the 2004-2005 school year when he assaulted the former student.
Attorney Louanne Masry, of the Masry Law Firm in Southern California, is representing the plaintiff.
Kelly Avants, school district spokesperson, declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying the district has not been served with it and therefore is not familiar with its allegations.
This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 5:08 PM.
