SAN DIEGO (October 8, 2021): San Diego-based law firm Hartley LLP has filed a class action complaint against Chaffey Joint Union High School District for endangering thousands of girls at Los Osos High School who were videotaped without their knowledge when a Los Osos High School employee hid a camera in the school’s bathroom, locker room, and pool area for years.
On August 26, 2021, David A. Riden, a 52-year-old employee of Los Osos High School, was arrested by San Bernardino County Sheriffs and charged with placing a hidden camera in a girls’ bathroom at Los Osos High School. The hidden camera, disguised to look like a cellphone charger, was discovered by another employee. It and/or other hidden cameras had been in place for several years prior to Riden’s arrest.
“The negligence of the leadership at Los Osos High School and the Chaffey Joint Union High School District has caused irreparable damage to the school’s female students,” said attorney Jason Hartley, Founder of Hartley LLP. “Schools are responsible for the safety of their students. The District here allowed a school employee to record thousands of female students without their knowledge as they were using the restroom and undressing. The District must take action immediately to ensure this isn’t happening elsewhere and doesn’t happen again.”
As a result of Riden’s actions and his employer’s failure to properly supervise Riden and prevent his actions, the school’s female students suffered and continue to suffer pain of mind and body, mental anguish, shock, emotional distress, physical manifestations of emotional distress, embarrassment, loss of self- esteem, disgrace, fright, grief, and humiliation. The class in this case is comprised of all persons who, from January 1, 2015 to August 24, 2021, entered the girls’ restroom at Los Osos High or passed by the hidden recording device(s) at any time.
Jason Hartley and Hartley LLP Partner Jason Linder, along with co-counsel Daniel R. Karon and Beau D. Hollowell of Ohio-based law firm Karon LLC, filed the case in the Superior Court of the State of California County of San Bernardino on October 8, 2021. For more information or for a copy of the complaint, please contact Karen Korr at [email protected].
