A family of a 14-year-old student has claimed in a lawsuit that a California school teacher named Michelle Christine Solis, 46, groomed and sexually assaulted their son on his graduation day at Sycamore Middle School. The sexual assault has left the boy traumatised, the family alleges.
According to the Sacramento Bee, new allegations in the lawsuit say that Solis often organised meet-ups with the student. That's not all, she also gave him a pass for recess and spent alone time with him by saying she was helping him with homework.
On his eighth-grade graduation day, Solis took the boy into a classroom, locked the door, and coerced him into sex. According to the Butte County District Attorney's Office, the student then sent him photos of their encounter and asked the boy to delete their chats.
Rumours and copies of one of the nude photographs began to circulate in the Gridley community in October 2023. A Gridley Police investigation ensued and investigators contacted the boy and reviewed the contents of his phone, according to a press release by The Butte County District Attorney's Office. There they found communication between Solis and the boy, including two explicit photographs of Solis that matched the descriptions the boy previously provided.
The lawsuit further claims that the school failed to properly monitor their teacher's behaviour nor did they train other teachers to properly detect the grooming behaviour, the New York Post reported.
The suit is seeking "general damages and other non-economic relief" for physical, mental and emotional injuries sustained by the student.
Mark Boskovich, an attorney for the boy, told the local outlet that sexual abuse has traumatised the boy and had a lasting effect on him.
"He is back in the classroom where he had no control of the situation and felt helpless," Mr Boskovich told the Bee.
Solis, who has been a teacher for 20 years was sentenced to four years in prison back in July 2024. She is serving her sentence at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla.
