Music teacher accused of abusing more than 30 students in San José

Santiago, who was arrested in late 2022, had already been found guilty of multiple felonies for lewd acts and child abuse.

The lawsuit, filed by the law firm Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, accuses the school district of negligence in employing Santiago despite knowing of his “inappropriate sexual behavior.”

The victims, who were under 12 years old, were primary school students. Adelante Dual Language Academythe William Sheppard High School and the Ben Painter Elementary.

All of the victims at Adelante Dual Language Academy were girls under 12 years of age, where 95% of the students are Latinoabout 30% of them speak predominantly Spanish and more than half are considered low-income.

Attorneys reported Monday that additional victims have been identified at William Sheppard and Ben Painter, where Santiago worked from 2012 to 2014.

According to the lawsuit, district officials repeatedly warned Santiago about his inappropriate behavior, but transferred him to Adelante without informing parents.

The lawsuit contends that the district’s decision to keep Santiago in classrooms with minors allowed for continued abuse.

Attorneys claim district officials did not inform police or Child Protective Services about concerns surrounding Santiago.

Eleven student plaintiffs have suffered shock, emotional distress and other trauma.

The lawsuit also notes that Santiago was warned multiple times in 2012, 2013 and 2014 about his conduct, and that the school district attempted to cover up the abuse by relocating him to different schools.

Santiago was arrested in November 2022 and in 2023 he was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

He is currently incarcerated at a prison in Corcoran, California, and his first parole eligibility hearing is scheduled for June 2028.