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Lawsuits Allege Sexual Assault by Two Teachers at Terra Nova High School
The law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard has filed two lawsuits against the Jefferson Union High School District alleging that it failed to protect two young female students from grooming and sexual assaults by two Terra Nova High School teachers.
In the first case, Jane Doe claims that, during the 2024-2025 school year, she was groomed and sexually assaulted by her woodshop teacher, Paul Spinetti. During this time, the victim was a freshman in special education classes.
According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe reported the assault to her mother, who contacted law enforcement. The complaint states that the District had prior knowledge of Spinetti's inappropriate behaviors, including rumors of him being "the creepy teacher," touching female students inappropriately, making sexual comments, staring at students’ breasts, favoring girls in class, and gifting them sexually suggestive objects made in woodshop.
The lawsuit claims that multiple complaints dating back to 2015-2016, including reports from students and parents about similar assaults, were allegedly ignored and that there were no investigations, terminations, or reports to law enforcement or child protective services (CPS) despite mandatory reporting laws. Spinetti was arrested in January by the Pacifica Police Department and charged with felony charges related to lewd and lascivious sexual acts allegedly committed against Jane Doe.
In a parallel lawsuit, another plaintiff, also identified as Jane Doe, alleges that during the 2015-2017 school years, as a junior and senior at Terra Nova, she was groomed and sexually assaulted by her chemistry teacher, Ross Robert Ellison.
Ellison, according to the lawsuit, used his authority to build trust through special attention, daily lunches, personal conversations, one-on-one emails, off-campus meetings, and rides in his vehicle. The grooming behavior allegedly escalated to transporting her off-campus for sexual intercourse and oral copulation. The abuse was reportedly widely known on campus, with students witnessing kisses in the parking lot, Ellison picking her up from prom, and frequent alone time in his classroom, as well as sightings together outside school.
According to the lawsuit, after Doe graduated from Terra Nova, a student informed the school guidance counselor of Ellison’s sexual abuse of Doe while she was a minor student and months later the District met with the student. The lawsuit alleges that Ellison resigned or was terminated shortly thereafter. Ellison continues to maintain his California teaching credential.
The lawsuit accuses the District of knowing about Ellison's grooming behaviors, such as isolating students and private communications, yet failing to screen, supervise, discipline, or report him, in violation of child abuse reporting laws.
“Both cases highlight the District’s pattern of neglecting to train staff on detecting grooming, ignoring complaints, failing to monitor classrooms, and prioritizing its reputation over student safety,” Cerri said. “As a result, the District’s actions allowed predatory teachers to harm minors under their care.”
In the first case, Jane Doe claims that, during the 2024-2025 school year, she was groomed and sexually assaulted by her woodshop teacher, Paul Spinetti. During this time, the victim was a freshman in special education classes.
According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe reported the assault to her mother, who contacted law enforcement. The complaint states that the District had prior knowledge of Spinetti's inappropriate behaviors, including rumors of him being "the creepy teacher," touching female students inappropriately, making sexual comments, staring at students’ breasts, favoring girls in class, and gifting them sexually suggestive objects made in woodshop.
The lawsuit claims that multiple complaints dating back to 2015-2016, including reports from students and parents about similar assaults, were allegedly ignored and that there were no investigations, terminations, or reports to law enforcement or child protective services (CPS) despite mandatory reporting laws. Spinetti was arrested in January by the Pacifica Police Department and charged with felony charges related to lewd and lascivious sexual acts allegedly committed against Jane Doe.
In a parallel lawsuit, another plaintiff, also identified as Jane Doe, alleges that during the 2015-2017 school years, as a junior and senior at Terra Nova, she was groomed and sexually assaulted by her chemistry teacher, Ross Robert Ellison.
Ellison, according to the lawsuit, used his authority to build trust through special attention, daily lunches, personal conversations, one-on-one emails, off-campus meetings, and rides in his vehicle. The grooming behavior allegedly escalated to transporting her off-campus for sexual intercourse and oral copulation. The abuse was reportedly widely known on campus, with students witnessing kisses in the parking lot, Ellison picking her up from prom, and frequent alone time in his classroom, as well as sightings together outside school.
According to the lawsuit, after Doe graduated from Terra Nova, a student informed the school guidance counselor of Ellison’s sexual abuse of Doe while she was a minor student and months later the District met with the student. The lawsuit alleges that Ellison resigned or was terminated shortly thereafter. Ellison continues to maintain his California teaching credential.
The lawsuit accuses the District of knowing about Ellison's grooming behaviors, such as isolating students and private communications, yet failing to screen, supervise, discipline, or report him, in violation of child abuse reporting laws.
“Both cases highlight the District’s pattern of neglecting to train staff on detecting grooming, ignoring complaints, failing to monitor classrooms, and prioritizing its reputation over student safety,” Cerri said. “As a result, the District’s actions allowed predatory teachers to harm minors under their care.”
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