Victims Of San Jose Track Coach Convicted In Child Porn Case Sue District
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Two victims of a Willow Glen Middle School teacher who was convicted of child pornography charges last year filed a lawsuit against him and the San Jose Unified School District on Thursday.
Clifford Pappadakis, 47, was a physical education teacher and track and field coach at the school when he was arrested in February 2018. He pleaded no contest to child pornography possession and was sentenced to eight months of house arrest in November.
Pappadakis is being sued for sexual abuse of a minor and is scheduled to be released later this month, according to the lawsuit. It says his victims suffered from trust issues, paranoia, anxiety, depression and nightmares after learning about his "betrayal."
Ed Vasquez, a spokesman for Corsiglia McMahon & Allard LLP, the law firm representing the victims, said the sexual abuse allegations stem from the photos Pappadakis took of the victims and other children. Multiple photos zoomed-in on young girl's buttocks and breasts.
Vasquez said none of the children in the photos were naked, but at least some children were in track outfits and one was in a bikini.
The lawsuit alleges the school district failed to act on parental complaints and rumors regarding Pappadakis, and that it didn't seize his district-issued laptop until a second complaint six months later. The victims' attorneys said the rumors included nicknames like "Coach P.P" which allegedly stood for "Coach Pedophile Pappadakis."
Several thousand photos of children were apparently later found on his laptop. The school district could not be reached for a statement. The lawsuit does not specify the monetary damages it is seeking.
"This was a preventable assault on the girls," attorney Mark Boskovich said in a news release.
Days after Pappadakis was arrested, his twin brother Clinton was arrested for similar offenses as a track coach at Oak Grove High School. According to court records, the case has since been dismissed.
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