Were You Abused by Jeremy Yeh at El Crystal or Allen Elementary School, in San Bruno, California?

Attorneys representing multiple Jane Doe plaintiffs have filed a civil lawsuit in San Mateo County Superior Court alleging that former elementary school teacher Jeremy Pakyin Yeh sexually abused young students at El Crystal Elementary School and Allen Elementary School in San Bruno, and that the San Bruno Park School District failed to protect children despite receiving prior reports of misconduct.

According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe (J.R.) was a first-grade student at El Crystal Elementary School and later a second-grade student at Allen Elementary School, both schools within the San Bruno Park School District. Jane Doe (K.M.) was a first- and second-grade student at Allen Elementary School. The complaint alleges that both children were repeatedly sexually abused by Jeremy Yeh while he served as their classroom teacher.

The lawsuit further alleges that District administrators received complaints as early as 2017 that Yeh was engaging in inappropriate and sexual conduct toward students, including touching children and engaging in sexually abusive behavior. Despite these reports, the District allegedly failed to take appropriate action, failed to investigate, failed to document the complaints, and failed to report the suspected abuse to law enforcement or child protective services as required under California’s mandatory reporting laws. According to statements attributed to the District Attorney’s Office, the first child reported Yeh’s abuse in 2017 but was dismissed by school administrators and labeled a liar.

During Yeh’s criminal trial, evidence was presented that a student witnessed Yeh sexually abusing another child on school grounds and reported what she saw to school administrators. The complaint alleges that instead of initiating a proper investigation, then-Principal Jeanne Elliott of El Crystal Elementary School required both the child witness and the alleged victim to meet with Yeh and recount their allegations in his presence. The lawsuit further alleges that Principal Elliott later sent an email to Yeh stating that she would handle the situation and sent a letter to parents characterizing the child who reported the abuse as a liar. At the time, neither Principal Elliott nor then-Superintendent Cheryl Olson reported the allegations to law enforcement. Superintendent Olson retired approximately two months later. The lawsuit alleges that the failure to report allowed Yeh to continue teaching and interacting with young students.

As alleged in the complaint, the District’s response resulted in the children being labeled as liars, subjected to bullying by other students, and left vulnerable to continued abuse. The parents of the Jane Doe plaintiffs state that Yeh should have been removed from school property after the first report and that the abuse of their children could have been prevented had the District acted when it was first notified.

The lawsuit describes a pattern of alleged grooming behavior by Yeh that administrators allegedly knew or should have known about. These behaviors allegedly included encouraging young girls to be alone with him in his classroom before school and during recess, offering special attention and rewards exclusively to female students, contacting students outside of school through online gaming platforms and other applications, and engaging in a game referred to as “tickle time,” during which Yeh allegedly touched and groped students’ private areas. The complaint alleges that these behaviors occurred at both Allen Elementary School and El Crystal Elementary School and involved multiple students.

The parents of Jane Doe (J.R.) stated: “Mr. Yeh should have never been allowed to step foot on school property after he the first child reported him to the school in 2018. The school could have prevented my daughter from being harmed, but they chose to protect this evil man.  We just don’t understand that.”  And the parents of Jane Doe (K.M.) stated: “Little girls don’t make up stuff like this. Why would the school call a girl a liar and then let this pedophile continue to be around other little girls for years!”

According to Mr. Thompson, “Jeremy Yeh is a classic pedophile that groomed young girls with special attention and rewards. He’d play ‘tickle time’ with them as guise to touch their vaginal area and buttocks. Unfortunately, his first known victim was raped. He’d still be doing it to this day but for some young girls that were brave enough to speak up.”  

Following an investigation by the San Bruno Police Department, authorities identified four child victims. Yeh was arrested and charged with 22 felony counts related to the sexual abuse of minors in The People of the State of California v. Jeremy Pakyin Yeh (Case No. 23-NF-006163-A). According to law enforcement reports referenced in the complaint, Yeh admitted during questioning that he had never had a girlfriend and stated that he wanted to “feel what it was like to be with a woman.”

The lawsuit further alleges that after Yeh’s arrest, Principal Elliott and former Superintendent Olson declined to cooperate with police investigators, retained criminal defense counsel, and refused to answer questions regarding their prior knowledge of the abuse and their failure to report it.

According to Belinda Arriaga, Director of the non-profit ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Sonar), “The victimization of children is a tragedy that we cannot look away from. At this time more than ever we are reminded of how often our immigrant community is often silenced by fear and societal policies that push them into the shadows, and they are often scared to come forward as victims of crime. It is imperative that children and families know that there is support and care for them- and that they are not alone.”

“The criminal prosecutions are critical because they highlight the problem of sexual abuse of our kids while they are at school.  Nobody wants to think people like Jeremy Yeh exists, but people like him are far too common. These prosecutions highlight the need for our schools to be more proactive about preventing sex abuse.  Now that the criminal case is over, it is time to hold the San Bruno Parc School District responsible for its failures, which are egregious.  My clients’ intent is to shine a light on the District’s actions and inactions, and to prevent this from ever happening again at a school within the District.”  Thompson said.

Two of the Jane Doe plaintiffs are represented by Bobby Thompson of TLO Law, P.C., located in Burlingame, California. Individuals with information regarding abuse by Jeremy Yeh or other misconduct while he was employed by the San Bruno Park School District are encouraged to contact TLO Law, P.C. at 650-513-6111 or bobby@tlopc.com. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse and their families may be eligible for U-Visas, mental health services, and additional victim support resources, and are encouraged to come forward without fear of retaliation.

For experienced sexual assault and school abuse legal representation in California, contact TLO Law, P.C. at https://www.tlo-law.com.

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