Schools
BHS Sat On Sexual Harassment Allegations For 15 Years: Report
Longtime BHS teacher and assistant football coach Matthew Bissell resigned in June amid sexual assault allegations, Berkeleyside reports.
BERKELEY, CA — Berkeley High School Administrators were aware of sexual harassment allegations against a teacher over a period of 15 years but took no disciplinary action other than issuing reprimands and assigning one training session, Berkeleyside reports.
Longtime chemistry teacher and assistant football coach Matthew Bissell resigned in June amid sexual assault allegations, according to the report.
Bissell has denied the allegations through an attorney, the report said.
Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Rachel Phillips, who attended BHS from 1999 to 2003, filed a lawsuit against a former teacher and the Berkeley Unified School District alleging a pattern of sexual abuse and harassment and the failure of school administrators to protect her despite multiple complaints, Berkeleyside previously reported.
.@BerkeleyUnified has substantiated sexual harassment claims by a former student against teacher Matthew Bissell, who they say is no longer with the district. #berkeleyHS https://t.co/oxfWDk68v9
— Melanie Woodrow (@MelanieWoodrow) July 14, 2021
The report cites disciplinary records obtained through public records request that the Berkeley Unified School District didn’t provide to the news outlet until it threatened to sue to district for failing to comply with its request, the report said.
Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Under terms of the separation agreement obtained by Berkeleyside, the district agreed not to reveal the misconduct allegations against Bissell to potential future employers and the disgraced teacher agreed not to sue the district.
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