POMONA (CNS) – A 37-year-old man has dropped his lawsuit against the Covina-Valley Unified School District in which he alleged he was molested by his English teacher while he was a student at Northview High School in Covina more than two decades ago.
The plaintiff filed suit against the district and former teacher Kimberly Northrup in Pomona Superior Court, alleging sexual harassment, negligence, negligent supervision and retention and sexual battery. On Tuesday, his attorneys filed court papers with Judge Christian R. Gullon asking that the lawsuit be dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled.
The court papers do not state whether a settlement was reached or if the plaintiff is not continuing with the case for other reasons. The other defendants also are requesting that their cross-litigation be dropped. In 2023, the district filed a cross-complaint against Northrup, asking that she be required to proportionately pay any damages that may be assessed against the CVUSD “by virtue of settlement or judgment.”
According to the plaintiff’s suit, he was enrolled in Northrup’s class during his sophomore year in 2004-05 and she began grooming him while appearing sympathetic to difficulties he was having at home.
“Northrop targeted plaintiff for sexual grooming based upon this information and the emotional, psychological and physical vulnerability it created,” the suit stated.
Northrup asked the plaintiff to be alone with her at lunch and after school in order to discuss his home life and ask personal questions, according to the suit, which further stated that the first sexual encounter allegedly occurred in her locked classroom about a week or two after the grooming started.
“Despite this obvious red flag behavior, defendant CVUSD failed to take any action, which allowed Northrop continued and consistent access to Plaintiff to further her abuse,” the suit stated.
After Northrup’s alleged sexual abuse of the plaintiff and two other students became “open and obvious,” she resigned in 2007 because of multiple rumors that she was sleeping with students, the suit stated.
Despite no longer being employed at Northview High School, Northrop attended the plaintiff’s high school graduation ceremony, the suit stated. Even after he turned 18 years old, Northrup continued to “manipulate plaintiff into engaging in a further emotionally damaging personal and sexual relationship for several more years,” according to the suit filed in April 2022.
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