Two students sexually abused 50 years ago settle lawsuit with Mountain View Whisman School District for $1.6 million

The law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard is reporting that two students sexually abused in the early 1970s have settled their lawsuit against the Mountain View Whisman School District (MVWSD) for $1.6 million. The lawsuit alleged sexual abuse by Steven Myers, a former teacher and vice principal at Crittenden Middle School during the early 1970s. The settlement resolves claims that Myers groomed and assaulted two students in the early 1970’s, highlighting serious oversight failures in the district at the time.

“For decades, school districts like Mountain View Whisman have avoided taking responsibility for the harm they caused to sexual abuse victims,” attorney Lauren Cerri said. “It took the passage of Assembly Bill 218 in 2020 to extended the statute of limitations for such lawsuits, allowing survivors to seek justice decades after the abuse occurred.”

The Mountain View Whisman lawsuit is part of broader legal actions against Myers, who also faced sexual abuse allegations arising from his employment with Santa Cruz City Schools (SCCS), where he served as principal of Branciforte Junior High School from 1981 to 1984 and ran the Traveling School. In 2024, the law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard achieved justice for two more victims of Myers against SCCS. The lawsuit brought by the firm settled for $4.5 million.

“These cases reveal a pattern of misconduct by Myers, who exploited his authority across multiple districts over decades,” Cerri said.

Myers, who has gone by many aliases including Stephen Jackson, operated the Traveling School Summer Program, a six-week initiative for students with behavioral and academic challenges, at both Crittenden and later in Santa Cruz. The program, described as a "school on wheels," included controversial elements like "Body Theme Days," where students were required to wear minimal clothing, and massage sessions led by Myers. Depositions revealed a lack of oversight, with no policies governing teacher-student interactions or background checks conducted on Myers.

Across five decades, from 1968 to 2018, at least 11 men have reported sexual abuse by Myers, with over 20 alleging inappropriate conduct during their minor years in locations including Mountain View, Santa Cruz, and Denver.

Despite these allegations, Myers has not faced criminal prosecution due to statutes of limitations. His teaching credentials were revoked in California and Colorado following reports of misconduct.

The settlements by MVWSD and SCCS mark steps toward accountability for past failures, providing some justice for survivors. These cases underscore the critical need for rigorous background checks, oversight, and policies to protect students in educational settings.

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