The Oxnard School District faces a lawsuit alleging it failed to take action upon learning of the misconduct of a Christa McAuliffe School employee who is accused of sending sexually explicit text messages to a fifth-grader.
The complaint, filed July 10 in Ventura County Superior Court by the victim’s family, accuses campus assistant Andrew Lemos and the school district of sexual harassment of a minor and violation of civil code, intentional infliction of emotional distress and harassment in an educational institution.
It also accuses the district of negligent hiring, supervision and retention of an unfit employee, negligent supervision of a minor, negligent failure to warn, train or educate and breach of mandatory duty by failing to report suspected child abuse.
Lemos was previously arrested, fired and charged with felony luring.
The victim’s family declined interview requests. Lemos does not yet have a civil attorney and could not be reached for comment.
The Oxnard School District did not respond to interview requests but instead provided an emailed statement explaining that because of pending litigation and personnel and student privacy laws, it is limited in what it can share publicly.
Spokesperson Ginger Shea, however, insisted the school took action upon learning of the allegations.
“The District takes all allegations involving student safety seriously and acts swiftly to protect students while cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities,” Shea wrote in an email. “The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority.”
Lawsuit accuses district of not taking action
The 19-page complaint alleges that from about April 2025 through September 2025, Lemos, who was 22, sent lewd and pornographic text messages and photos to the victim, who was 11. He allegedly used his position at the school to access the victim’s phone number and facilitate the criminal abuse.
The victim’s mother learned of the messages Sept. 4 and informed school staff of the misconduct the same day, the family’s attorney Gregory Ramirez said in an interview.
Story continues below.
Ramirez said office staff was dismissive of the mother’s concerns and when she was finally able to speak with the principal, the principal was also dismissive.
The mother repeatedly asked the principal to call the police, but the principal told the mother that the school had to first make a report to human resources and that the mother should go home and call the police instead, the attorney said.
The mother eventually called police from the campus, and Ramirez said the principal was upset with her for doing so.
Oxnard Police Department officers responded to the campus that day and interviewed the mother and daughter for several hours, Ramirez said.
Six days later, on Sept. 10, detectives arrested Lemos on suspicion of felony sending harmful material to a minor, according to Oxnard police.
A Sept. 10 news release from the department states Lemos was the suspect of an investigation for inappropriately sending a student lewd messages with the intent to commit sexual assault and that investigators were working to determine if Lemos had inappropriately communicated with other minors at the school.
Oxnard police would not say who reported Lemos or when but said the department did not receive any additional complaints after the news release. The school district did not answer direct questions about when school leaders learned about Lemos and if they reported him to police or when.
The lawsuit alleges that in addition to choosing not to notify authorities, school administration failed to initiate an investigation into Lemos, discipline him, restrict his access to students, or alert staff, students and families to the threat Lemos posed.
The complaint also contends that the district failed to properly hire, train and supervise Lemos and failed to adequately implement districtwide policies aimed at preventing, detecting or deterring the sexual harassment or abuse of students.
“Plaintiff suffered additional harm that OSD could have been prevented, but instead OSD made the conscious decision to conceal Lemos’ known misconduct, through their inaction,” the document asserts.
District disputes claims
In her recent email, Shea, the district spokesperson, said that upon learning of the allegations, the district notified Child Protective Services and cooperated with law enforcement’s investigation the same day.
She wrote that the district also took prompt action to ensure the employee no longer had access to students. The district placed the employee, who had been a campus assistant at the school for less than six months, on administrative leave Sept. 8 and fired him after his Sept. 10 arrest, Shea said.“Any suggestion that the district did not act is simply incorrect,” she wrote.
Shea did not answer questions about exactly when administration learned of the allegations or reported them to authorities.
She said the district also notified the school community of the reported incident.
In a Sept. 11 email sent to staff and families and provided to The Star, the district shared that upon receiving a report from a parent regarding inappropriate communication with students by an adult, the district immediately contacted the police department. The email states that the district implements all mandated screenings and rigorous procedures in its hiring practices.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office charged Lemos with one count of luring with the special allegations that the victim was vulnerable and that he took advantage of a position of trust.
Lemos pleaded not guilty and denied the special allegations during his Sept. 12 arraignment. He remains released on $100,000 bail.
Lemos’ criminal defense attorney did not respond to a request for comment. His preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 15.
In the civil case, the next hearing is set for Sept. 16.
Makena Huey is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at makena.huey@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation’s Fund to Support Local Journalism.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard School District erred in child harassment case, lawsuit says
Reporting by Makena Huey, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Makena Huey, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
