Lawsuit Alleges Sequoia Union High School District Ignored Repeated Warnings of Coach’s Sexual Misconduct

The law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard has filed a sexual assault lawsuit alleging that Sequoia Union High School District and the Academy of Volleyball, Inc., were negligent in their supervision of volleyball coach Thomas Feng. The complaint alleges that this negligence led to the sexual assault of a Woodside High School student, identified as Jane Doe.

The lawsuit asserts that Feng used his position of trust and authority to sexually assault the underage student numerous times during the 2022-2023 school year, including on school grounds and at school-sanctioned events. Feng is currently facing criminal charges related to the assault after he was arrested.

The complaint states that both the District and the Academy of Volleyball knew of Feng’s misconduct but failed to notify law enforcement. In one instance, the lawsuit claims an anonymous complaint was made to Woodside administration regarding Feng and Doe’s inappropriate relationship.  The vice principals, school nurse, and athletic director called Doe into a meeting wherein they dismissed the complaint as a rumor.  No further actions were taken to protect Doe or to increase supervision or terminate Feng even though a second anonymous complaint was made and also dismissed.

Feng’s behaviors were also of concern to the Academy of Volleyball. In one instance, the director and other staff members spoke to Feng about respecting coach-player boundaries but failed to repudiate Feng’s predatory behavior and failed to report inappropriate behaviors to the authorities for proper investigation. 

It finally took Doe filing a police report with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office in June of 2025 for an investigation to commence. Feng was arrested and charged by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office in late February.

“We are seeking justice for our client and working to ensure no other student suffers under this district’s watch,” attorney Lauren Cerri said. “By dismissing complaints, the District prioritized its reputation over the safety of the students, leaving Feng in a position to do more harm. We urge anyone with information to contact us immediately.”

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