Former Ventura County Teacher Admits He Sexually Abused Student

Former teacher Paul Herder, who was arrested in June 2023 in Hawaii, has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing an underage female student while he was teaching at Oak Grove School in Ojai. This is a private school operated by Oak Grove and the Krishnamurti Foundation. In a civil complaint filed by the victim, she claims that Heber sexually assaulted her multiple times while she was attending the school from 2013 to 2017.

Herder was located and arrested in Hawaii and extradited back to Ventura County. According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Herder “coerced the juvenile victim to engage in numerous sexual acts,” sent her sexually explicit content and was found to be in possession of child pornography. He has been charged with 6 counts of child sexual abuse, including digital penetration and oral copulation of a minor and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Due to his role as a teacher, his charges are enhanced with the special allegation that he “took advantage of a position of trust or confidence” to abuse the student.

Herder pleaded guilty to all 6 counts and is expected to be back in court on April 29, where he is facing a sentence of 6 years and 8 months in prison. In a statement by Deputy District Attorney Emily Reber, “For too long, the defendant had gotten away with the terrible crimes and abuse of trust he perpetrated on the underage victim.” She added that the former student can now “secure the justice and accountability that had escaped her for so many years.”

While Herder was teaching in Hawaii at the time he was arrested, he has a long record of teaching and tutoring position throughout the U.S. Aside from Ojai, he is believed to have taught in Los Angeles, and it’s more than likely that students in the area were assaulted by this man, who they trusted and cared about. Even worse, they were probably failed by the school administrators, who ignored their cries for help or got rid of Herder by helping him transfer to another school.

School officials in Los Angeles may have covered up evidence of sexual abuse, which Oak Grove and the Krishnamurti Foundation has been accused of in the past. This is one of the most common reactions by school districts and private school operators, who are willing to sacrifice the health and safety of a student to preserve their image and keep up the flow of public funding or tuition payments from wealthy parents.

If you or someone you know was sexually assaulted or harassed by Paul Herder, contact Normandie Law Firm and speak to a lawyer who can sue for sexual abuse by a teacher. We are more than ready to represent your interests and ensure that the people who failed you pay for their negligence or unlawful conduct.

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Do I Qualify for a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit? 

You have grounds to file a lawsuit for child sexual abuse if a teacher at your school engaged in a sexual relationship with you. This can involve physical acts, which is legally referred to as child molestation or child sexual assault. But sexual abuse of a minor also includes sexting, sharing sexually explicit content, making sexual remarks about a child’s body – in short, just about any physical, verbal, or digital interaction that results in sexual gratification for the adult is child sexual abuse.

So, let’s look at why school boards are typically responsible in cases of sexual misconduct by a teacher. As we mentioned before, the foundation that operates the Oak Grove School in Ojai has been accused of a “coverup” regarding sexual abuse against students at the school. We see this very often in cases that we investigate on behalf of our clients. It’s quite common for emails, letters, texts, etc., to be exchanged back and forth about a predatory staff member, yet no one has called the police or turned over evidence that can help the student.

In addition, the teacher is rarely fired, meaning they are allowed to keep abusing the student or find other victims at the school. If things get too heated and the school system is no longer willing to deal with complaints of sexually inappropriate conduct, they let the teacher resign with a clean record so that he or she can quickly find a job somewhere else. It’s also worth noting that school districts and private school boards rarely implement protocols to prevent this type of abuse from happening in the future.

That’s why for every one student that is brave enough to come forward, there are probably dozens of others who are suffering from the effects of sexual abuse by their teacher. This is the reality that drives us on a daily basis, and why we are steadfast in our commitment to anyone who was sexually abused by a teacher, sports coach, bus driver, janitor, or any other school employee.

Value of a Lawsuit for Sexual Abuse by a Teacher

On average, lawsuits for sexual abuse of an underage student are settled for $1,500,000 to $5,000,000. The type of abuse can affect the amount of compensation, i.e. if there were physical interactions of a sexual nature between the two parties. In cases of child sexual assault, the amount of compensation can start at around $2,000,000 and go all the way up to $10,000,000 and above. For those who were sexually harassed by a school teacher, case values may be lower than $1,000,000, but there are special circumstances that can increase the settlement for a school sexual abuse lawsuit.

In the lawsuit against Paul Herder, the victim alleges that Oak Grove and the Krishnamurti Foundation covered up evidence of sexual abuse against her and other students. This is deliberate misconduct, which is a heightened form of negligence by a school system. Such actions can add several million dollars to the value of a child sexual assault lawsuit.

No matter how much you are due from a lawsuit, it’s important to hire a skilled and aggressive child abuse attorney, who will fight for the settlement you deserve.

How Long will it Take to Settle my Lawsuit?

In our experience, a school sexual assault lawsuit takes between 1 and 2 years to settle. While you do have cases that reach a settlement within 6 months, this is quite rare when it comes to incidents of child sexual abuse. As you can imagine, no public school district or private school board is eager to associate themselves with the sexual abuse of minors. As a result, you can expect to have a fight on your hands when you demand compensation for the harm you’ve suffered. This is why having a school sex abuse lawyer on your side is so important, as they will fight to negotiate the highest possible settlement on your behalf.

You have probably heard of these cases going to trial, and yes, that does happen from time to time. But less than 5% of these lawsuits are presented before a judge and jury. Overall, we expect to reach a settlement with the other side, but if a trial is necessary, we may need 3 or more years to obtain your payment.

What is the Statute of Limitations to Sue for Sexual Abuse at a School?

A child sexual abuse lawsuit must be filed by either of the following deadlines:

• Whenever the victim turns 40 years old, meaning they have 22 years from turning 18 to sue the liable entities.
• 5 years from when you are made aware of injuries associated with sexual abuse during your childhood.

The second time limit pertains to the discovery rule for child sex abuse victims, which is based on a minor’s tendency to run from traumatic incidents, like sexual assault by a teacher. That’s why they engage in a cycle of repression, to the point where they convince themselves the abuse was all in the past, it wasn’t such a big deal, etc.

But we know for a fact that suppression of sexual abuse created mental health issues for adults, who are unaware of how badly they were damaged by these incidents. Therapy from a licensed counselor can help them come to this realization, but there is no specific age for when a victim will get to this point. That’s why you are allowed 5 years to sue if you were sexually abused by Paul Herder, no matter how old you are.

Our sexual abuse lawsuit attorneys can help you determine the amount of time you have for a school sexual abuse claim, so please reach out to us as soon as possible.

Contact Our Law Firm

California is a leader in progressive laws that protect our children, including those who are subjected to sexual abuse by a teacher. But that hasn’t always been the case, which is why so many victims were denied justice by the criminal and civil courts. But now is the time to come forward and seek legal advice from a lawyer who can help you sue a private school board of public school district for sexual abuse.

For now, all you have to do is contact us and schedule a meeting with one of our attorneys. This is a free consultation, where you can learn about your rights and how we can bring you justice from a student sexual abuse lawsuit. We have a Zero Fee Guarantee if you decide to file a lawsuit, so you won’t have to worry about paying for an attorney. Your settlement includes the cost of legal representation, which we only receive by winning your case. Otherwise, we eat the costs and you owe us absolutely nothing.

To schedule a free case evaluation with one of our legal experts, contact our office as soon as possible.