RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – The families of four alleged child molestation victims are moving to file lawsuits against four local school districts for failing to prevent their accused attacker from substitute teaching at their school.
Chino Valley Unified, San Bernardino City Unified and Ontario-Montclair are all cited in the still pending lawsuits for failing to report the accused, Eric Norman Olsen, to police for inappropriate behavior that led to him being banned from the school districts. Central School District in Rancho Cucamonga is cited for failing to have run a background check on Olsen that would have uncovered the prior action taken against him.
Having worked as a substitute teacher in 17 school districts in three counties, Olsen was arrested on suspicion of six counts of child molestation last August. The four alleged victims filing suit claim their children were molested in December of 2005 in a first-grade classroom at Valle Vista Elementary School. With prior misbehavior described as allowing first-graders on his lap, the alleged victims’ families blame the school districts for not actively sharing information on his past actions or performing adequate background checks.
Central School District officials claim a background check had been performed but came back clean. They also contend it is not standard practice for them to call other school districts at random to check on teachers.
A hearing is set for March 28 to determine whether the lawsuits may be pursued despite not being filed by a predetermined deadline.
