Two men who were allegedly sexually abused by a Santa Cruz teacher in the 1980s and 90s were awarded a combined $4.5 million in a settlement with Santa Cruz City Schools, according to a press release.
The two 49-year-old men alleged that they were sexually abused by Stephen Myers, a former teacher at Santa Cruz City Schools, between 1987 and 1991 while they were in middle and high school, according to the press release. The men remained anonymous in the lawsuit and were referred to as John Roe 3 and John Roe 4.
“Personally, I’m happy to have some closure. It’s been a long, difficult path to this point,” said Roe 4 in an interview. “Of course, I’d much rather not have had the experience.”
Myers could not be reached for comment by the Bay Area News Group this week.
The suit alleged that there were no regulations over a traveling school program founded and run by Myers where he allegedly committed the sexual abuse.
Myers has faced other allegations of sexual assault, and Santa Cruz police found in an investigation in the 1990s that he had molested two children in other jurisdictions, though prosecutors cited numerous issues in their decisions not to charge him with any crime. He has also faced allegations that he molested a 4-year-old boy he tried to adopt and groped boys on trips overseas. Myers continued to work in teaching jobs in several states and abroad into at least the 2010s.
Myers’s “school on wheels” travel program was aimed at students from broken homes with academic and behavioral issues, according to the press release. The Traveling Summer School Program was formally adopted as a curriculum by the school district.
Roe 3 attended the traveling school program from 1988 to 1990, according to the press release. Roe 4 attended the program from 1988 to 1991. Both men alleged that they were sexually abused by Myers during this time.
“The impact has been so devastating and so traumatizing on levels maybe I don’t even realize yet as far as impacting my relationships in my life,” Roe 4 said. “Once our secrets are told, in my case, the power is lost and I can regain control.”
Roe 4 said that he hopes the settlement will serve as “financial reprimands” to persuade the school district and community to say, “hey, we’ve got to do something about this because it’s costing us a lot of money.”
He added that the district should implement policies that allow students to share “in a safe way” if they have experienced sexual abuse.
“It’s absolutely 100% necessary to have this zero tolerance policy in which students should never be alone with their teachers, before, after, during school,” Roe 4 said, adding that there should also be no overnights with teachers.
Myers was hired by Santa Cruz City Schools in 1981 as a principal at Branciforte Junior High, according to the press release. He also previously worked at Crittenden Middle School as a teacher.
“Several young boys, now men could have had much different lives if Santa Cruz City Schools would have had safety measures and some oversight in place,” said Roe 3 in the press release. “I’m hopeful that the more of these cases coming to light will protect future children from abuse.”
Sam Rolens, chief of communications for Santa Cruz City Schools, said that the district is “incredibly sorry for any of the victims involved.”
“I think that I’m safe in saying how many protocols, how much training and how many more protective laws have been passed in the time since,” Rolens said. “We’re glad that all employees go through such rigorous training now.”
In this case, leaders of the traveling school testified that there were no regulations or training regarding Myers giving and receiving massages from students, Myers sharing rooms and beds with students or Myers spending time with students at his home outside school, according to the press release. This lack of oversight allowed Myers to sexually abuse the two boys.
Myers included massage in the traveling school curriculum, according to the press release. Myers allegedly gave massages to male students who were shirtless and had kids massage him shirtless during class. In another instance, Myers allegedly required students to wear “minimal clothing” to school for “Body Theme Day.” On these days, Myers wore a “tight (swimsuit)” and “required boys to do the same.”
One Santa Cruz City Schools leader testified that “no one” from the district ever attended the traveling school trips, according to the press release.
“In this case and all cases, no survivors of sexual abuse have ever wanted money as a result of the lawsuit,” said Lauren Cerri, the attorney representing Roe 3 and Roe 4. “Money has never been the goal. It’s always accountability and change, and that’s the goal here.”
Cerri added that she hopes this cases prompts other schools to look at their policies to ensure sexual abuse does not happen elsewhere.
“It took tremendous courage for these men to come forward and rip open these wounds and tell their story and go through the legal process, and I am so proud of them and honored to have represented them in this case that will hopefully result in change and make schools safer for our children,” Cerri said.
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The lawsuit was filed by Cerri, Boskovich & Allard on behalf of the former students, according to the press release. Each of the two men will receive $2.25 million.
Cerri is representing two other former students from Crittenden Middle School who alleged that Myers abused them in the 1970s through the traveling school program. That case is slated to go to trial next summer.
“We can never move forward, you know, as a human until we acknowledge that there’s an issue,” Roe 4 said. “It would appear that it would be the same for an institution or the school district, that there needs to be transparency, there needs to be a clear acknowledgement, and then they need to do something about it.”