Disturbing allegations of a student-run ‘kissing club’ at an elite California private school, with alumni including Kendall and Kylie Jenner, will now be heard by a jury as a judge cleared the way for the lawsuit to proceed to open court.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David B. Gelfound rejecting the Sierra Canyon School‘s effort to keep the case behind closed arbitration Thursday.
The ruling clears the way for the lawsuit to move forward in Chatsworth Superior Court, where both sides will now exchange evidence, conduct depositions and prepare for a possible jury trial.
At the center of the lawsuit is a student identified as E.K., who was 7 years old when the alleged abuse began.
Her parents, Max and Pantea, say their daughter was repeatedly targeted by older students during school hours in what the complaint describes as a student-run “kissing club” operating inside school bathrooms.
E.K.’s mother, Pantea, described the emotional toll in court, saying: “As a mother, the feeling of being hopeless and not being able to protect my child from this … is crushing,” she said while holding back tears.
The father, Max, said the family only uncovered the alleged abuse themselves and were never properly informed by the school, telling KTLA: “As a parent, I think one of the major issues is that we were not notified by the school at all. And had it not been for our own detective work and figuring all this out, this could have continued happening.”
The filing alleges that older female students pressured younger children into sexual acts including kissing, genital touching, and oral copulation.
The parents argue the school failed to provide adequate supervision, allowing the conduct to continue unchecked.
They also say they had previously raised concerns about bullying, but the school did not implement effective protections.
The complaint further alleges that once staff became aware of the incidents, including videos reportedly found on students’ cellphones, administrators did not immediately notify law enforcement or inform families.
The lawsuit claims this violated California’s mandatory reporting laws requiring suspected child abuse to be reported without delay.
While the student accused of leading the “kissing club” is no longer enrolled, the lawsuit states she was not formally expelled.
In his written ruling, Judge Gelfound emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, stating:
“Here, (the parents) allege that E.K. was repeatedly harassed and bullied by older students during school hours, including forcing her to kiss older girls and touch their genital area. (The parents) further allege that the activity was allowed to continue because of the lack of adequate supervision by teachers, administrators and other agents, and that when Sierra Canyon became aware of the bullying and assault, it took no action.”
Sierra Canyon School has denied wrongdoing and says it takes student safety seriously.
The school is known for educating children of prominent families, including LeBron James, Willow Smith, and Kylie and Kendall Jenner.
In a statement, the school said: “Please know that protecting our students and ensuring that the truth is upheld remain at the core of our mission.”
“We have never ignored concerns related to student care,” the statement continued. “When questions were raised in the summer of 2024, we reviewed them comprehensively and immediately took proactive measures we determined were appropriate.”
The school maintains the allegations are “untrue and do not accurately reflect what occurred,” but has not yet filed a detailed public response in court.
The case has drawn wider attention due to Sierra Canyon’s high-profile reputation and celebrity connections, with annual tuition for students in grades 9–12 listed at $46,300 and total yearly costs typically ranging from $48,000 to $52,000 after additional fees.
The controversy has also resurfaced comments made by Kanye West in 2024, when he urged Kim Kardashian to remove their children from the school, calling it a “fake school for celebrities used by the system” on Instagram.
With arbitration rejected, the case now moves into discovery, where internal records, communications, and testimony will be examined as the lawsuit heads toward a possible jury trial.
Sierra Canyon is a private, co-educational college-preparatory school in Chatsworth, California, that serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Its high school (Upper School) serves grades 9 through 12.