Special Needs Student Claims Abuse From Special Education Teacher

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA — A former special needs student has sued LAUSD and special education assistant Alex Salas after claiming he was sexually abused from 2019-2020. The lawsuit accuses Salas, a special education assistant at Ulysses S. Grant High School, of sexual abuse and harassment, along with intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit also accuses LAUSD of negligent hiring and failure to report suspected child abuse.

According to the suit, the 16-year-old student, referred to as John Doe, was partnered with Alex Salas during the 2018-2019 school year. Salas, who was in his 40s, rode the bus with Doe to and from school and helped him walk home.

The suit claims Salas "groomed" Doe by touching him on the bus, giving him extra attention and eventually giving him rides in his car. In the following year, the lawsuit alleges their interactions escalated to illegal sexual acts and abuse.

Salas took Doe to a Burbank motel on four separate occasions under the guise of helping him with his homework, according to the suit. But on each trip, the suit states Salas gave the boy beer and liquor before sexually abusing him.

“There were numerous instances where the normal teacher-student boundaries were completely violated at school or on the bus, and employees suspected that Salas was acting inappropriately with minor children, yet no one reported this to law enforcement – this is a complete and utter failure by the school,” said lead attorney John C. Taylor.

“Salas used his position of authority to target Doe, and Doe’s special needs put him at even greater vulnerability which they should have been aware of,” said attorney Brendan Gilbert. “LAUSD needs to do more to protect its students and implement training and monitoring to prevent these occurrences of abuse, and actually follow it.”

Neither Salas nor an LAUSD representative could be reached for comment.

City News Service and Kenan Draughorne contributed to this report.