Two teachers at Joaquin Moraga middle school in northern California sexually abused student Kristen Cunnane over a four-year period beginning in 1996, when Cunnane was an eighth-grader.

Former Joaquin Moraga physical education teacher Julie Correa pleaded guilty to rape and sexual battery of Cunnane, who turned to science teacher, Daniel Witters, to report the abuse, but he also molested her. Witters later committed suicide after the allegations against him surfaced, reports ContraCostaTimes.com.

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website

Cunnane has now filed a lawsuit against the school district, retired Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School principal Bill Walters, retired assistant principal Paul Simonin and retired superintendent John Cooley, claiming they repeatedly ignored allegations of abuse, allowing her and other students to be victimized.

In response, the Moraga School District claims Cunnane that was "careless and negligent" and contributed to her ongoing sexual abuse at the hands of the teachers. They also claim that Cunnane was “careless and negligent” in the matter of her own rape.

Cunnane told ContraCostaTimes.com:"It felt like I got punched in the stomach, and I stood up and thought about how young I was when I was 12 to 13 years old at the school. For them to use words like 'negligent' and 'responsible' just broke my heart."



The school district released a statement claiming “this is a significant case that could have serious consequences for our school district. . . . As a result, at this point in the proceedings we have an obligation not to waive any potential legal lines of defense.”

undefined