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Published – October 12, 2022

According to ABC 7 Los Angeles, a former student has filed a lawsuit against the Paramount School District. The lawsuit alleges that one of the plaintiff’s teachers impregnated her when she was 16 years old. She even claims that staff members persuaded her into getting an abortion.

The woman, who goes by the name of  Sandra, was in a relationship with assistant music teacher Steven Velasquez during the 2004 to 2005 school year, according to attorney Samuel Dordulian. A group of staff members allegedly fabricated a story that Velasquez had died in order to convince Sandra to get an abortion. According to The U.S. Sun, Sandra “received a strange call from an unknown woman who told her Velasquez was dead and that it was all her fault.” Sandra was convinced by their scheme and ended up getting her child aborted. Sometime after the abortion, Velasquez made an appearance outside of Sandra’s window and told her that his faked death had been a misunderstanding.

At a press conference, Dordulian presented photos of Sandra from when she was in the band, the teacher and her kissing, and a love note to Sandra supposedly written by the teacher. ABC 7 Los Angeles reports that “Dordulian is asking the public for any information, including former students who may have been in the band in the 2004-2005 school year.”

California Assembly Bill 218 allows people who have experienced childhood sexual assault to file lawsuits.

Paramount Unified School District contains 19 schools and enrolls approximately 13,500 students.