A Los Angeles-area school district “consistently mishandled” rampant sex abuse complaints involving teachers and coaches — hiding reports that perverted staff were molesting, harassing, and grooming minors from state regulators.
El Monte Union High School District “systemically” broke state laws surrounding child sex abuse claims and botched as many as 113 abuse cases over the course of decades, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Friday.
Sex abuse cases that were swept under the rug included a wrestling coach who repeatedly groped boys during practice sessions and a special education teacher who molested and sent nude photos to an autistic girl, numerous lawsuits have alleged.
“In more than 100 cases, we found the district failed to conduct a legally compliant investigation” into sex abuse reports, Bonta said at a press conference.
“In five cases, where we did not find evidence that a staff member made the mandated report about sexual abuse of a student by another staff member, that staff member was able to continue to abuse the student and abused and harassed additional students,” he added.
The findings resulted from a seven-year investigation conducted between 2018 and 2025, Bonta said.
Under California law, teachers and other school staff are “mandated reporters” — meaning they are required to immediately report claims of child sexual abuse to authorities.
Instead, El Monte officials cultivated a “toxic” culture where sex abuse and assault were swept under the rug, according to reports.
Nine former students at Rosemead High School sued the district in 2024, alleging they were abused by district employees.
The disturbing complaints included an autistic girl who claimed she was sexually harassed during and after school by a special education teacher, Edwin Reyes-Villegas.
In another case, three former students accused wrestling coach Herbert Ortiz Monroy of repeatedly molesting boys and said the district enabled “a culture of sexual abuse and harassment that discouraged reporting,” Business Insider reported.
Ortiz Monroy, who also went by Coach Ortiz, was sentenced to prison in 2013 after pleading no contest to oral copulation of a minor and committing a lewd act on a child.
El Monte agreed to a legal settlement requiring state oversight for four years, officials said Friday.
“At El Monte Union High School District, student safety and well-being remain our highest priorities,” said El Monte Union High School Superintendent Dr. Edward Zuniga.
“This agreement reflects our continued commitment to strengthening systems that support safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environments.
