Berryessa Union School District Settles Sexual Abuse Lawsuits for over $10 million

Gardner began abusing students during the late 1990s, engaging in sexual acts with male students including sexual intercourse and instructing students to have sex with each other in his classroom. He was arrested in April 2021, almost twenty years after resigning amidst a police investigation that did not result in charges back then. Gardner pled guilty in 2023 to sexually abusing 4 students. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison.

“After over two decades of suffering in silence, I feel like I’ve reached a level of vindication,” John Doe 3 said. “Although I have a lot of work left ahead in order to heal, I feel like I have been given back the control I lost as a young child.”

“This experience has been extremely difficult, forced me to relive my trauma and taken years of my life away,” John Doe 1 stated. “The compensation I’ve received, in my opinion, is a moot point. There is no amount of money that will make up for abuse I endured and how that changed the trajectory of my life. If I’ve learned anything it’s that this is yet another example of our governmental institutions failing to protect kids and more evidence of our justice system skewed against victims.”

Despite being reprimanded early on in his career after a parent complained about Gardner making sexual innuendos to students, Gardner instead was praised with a glowing evaluation and award. Numerous other red flag grooming behaviors were evident, including a teacher witnessing Gardner kiss a student on the cheek.

“If Gardner had been adequately supervised and appropriate action taken against him early on, these boys would have been spared from the lifelong harm caused by the abuse,” attorney Lauren Cerri said.

Gardner was hired in 1996 without a teaching credential. He remained in his role as a science teacher until the end of the 2002-2003 school years, relying on consistently renewed emergency permits due to his lack of credential. Under California law, a teacher serving on an emergency permit must be paired with an experienced educator for guidance and assistance.

“With this settlement, our goal is for school districts throughout California to recognize the harm caused by protecting educators and overlooking the safety of students,” stated Cerri.