Trigger Warning: this story has content of sexual abuse and grooming. If you or someone who know have experienced sexual abuse, you can text “HOPE” to the number 64673 or call 800-656-HOPE. This is courtesy of RAINN.

In March 2023, the Association for the Treatment & Prevention of Sexual Abuse posted a study, finding that in child sexual abuse cases, 63% of the perpetrators of the abuse were teachers. Although Mills itself remains clear of any recent reports of lascivious conduct, multiple students enter Mills having been affected by the abuse done by middle and elementary school employees. Taylor Middle School, Allen Elementary School, and El Crystal Elementary School have all had teachers accused of sexual misconduct towards students within the last 3 years. This is much bigger than just the Mills community, with 52 lawsuits claiming school sexual abuse in the Bay Area alone. Sexual abuse committed by school employees in schools is an ongoing problem, with the rates of school sexual abuse rising with a 55% increase according to the CRDC study in 2020 of October. Why is this happening? Why are children at risk of abuse at schools where safety should be a top priority? Are schools doing enough to protect their students from sexual abuse?

One case that shows the negligence of school staff is that of Jeremy Yeh, a former teacher who taught at El Crystal Elementary School and Allen Elementary School.

In 2017, Yeh was reported to the San Bruno School District when two students saw his first known victim being abused. According to the Thompson Law Offices, in their report titled “Were You Abused by Jeremy Yeh at El Crystal or Allen Elementary School, in San Bruno, California.” they stated, “Instead of investigating Mr. Yeh’s alleged sexual abuse, the Principal of El Crystal, Jeanne Elliott, forced both the young girl who witnessed Mr. Yeh’s sexual abuse and the young girl who Mr. Yeh sexually abused to have a meeting with Mr. Yeh.” They also asserted, “Criminal charges may be filed by the DA’s office, Principal Elliott, and former Superintendent Olson for their failure to report Mr. Yeh’s 2017 sexual abuse. As a result, both young girls were labeled as “liars” and bullied by other students.”

Yeh stayed teaching until April 2023, when he was arrested for 22 felonies. Then, in 2025, he was convicted of 17 counts of child molestation and sentenced to 25 years in prison. 17 counts of molestation could have been prevented; victims who now have trauma for their whole life could have been spared if Elliot had done her job and reported Yeh. The Thompson Law Offices represented the victims of Jeremy Yeh in a civil lawsuit against the San Bruno School District. This is just one case in thousands where victims are ignored and pushed to the side. How are students supposed to feel safe going to school when they so often mishandle sexual abuse?

In California, school/district employees, administrators, and athletic coaches are all mandated reporters. A mandated reporter is someone who is legally required to report known or suspected cases of child abuse; doctors, school administrators, social workers, etc., would be mandated reporters. So that would mean Elliot legally had to report the abuse committed by Yeh. Allegedly, Elliot did not report to the proper authorities in a situation like this. Why do school administrators protect abusers over their students’ lives?

I spoke to Stewart Ryan, who works at the law firm Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, and he stated, “If there’s a failure to report, it’s not just you can get fired from your job, or other types [of] discipline, suspension … you can get prosecuted for it.” When asked about why school employees don’t report abuse, he said, “One [reason] is ignorance, and that can take many forms, and the other is just intentional protection.” Ryan goes further in depth, saying, “There’s the category, I see the behavior, I know it’s problematic, [but] I’m not going to report it because they are my friend or I don’t want to get accused of something, or I do things that are similar to that.”

I have concluded that, in fact, schools do not do enough to help students from sexual abuse. I asked Ryan what he thought schools could do to prevent abuse, and he stated, “It’s not just doing a background check, it’s really a thorough investigation of someone’s background. That means getting references from the person, contacting those references, asking difficult questions, and then asking those references.”

Ryan also stated, “It’s having an environment where people feel comfortable reporting problematic behavior. It’s having an environment where you are doing check-ins with the entire staff and students … working that they’re meeting the standard that everybody expects, which is to help children and not be a part of the problem.”