Featured Image Credit: FOX 11 Los Angeles
Topics: Sexual Abuse, Education, School, California, US News
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Sexual Abuse, Education, School, California, US News
Two victims have come forward alleging that they were sexually abused by their teacher in the late 1980s, with one claiming to have become pregnant as a result of the abuse.
One of the women, who only wishes to be identified as Reiko, took to social media in recent days to break her silence on what she says she experienced as a teenager.
She described her former teacher - whom she has named as Steve Graves, an employee of the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) - as a 'predator' and a 'wolf in sheep's clothing'.
"For 37 years, I lived in the shadows of silence, shadows cast by the towering facade of a respected teacher, a pious Christian leader, a pillar of his community," Reiko penned on Instagram.
"While you saw him as a beacon of guidance and faith, I knew him as the predator who stole my innocence, impregnated me as a teenager, and left scars that run deeper than time."
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Reiko further spoke of the pain and trauma 'that's lived within [her] like a virus, manifesting in anxiety, depression, and a constant fear of men'.
After falling pregnant as a teenager, she says she was forced to move schools as a 'scared, unwed, pregnant teen who was cut off from her community of friends and support'.
It's thought that since Reiko shared her poignant post, another woman has come forward and claimed that she was also abused by Graves, sparking her to also start posting about her experiences.
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Both women were 16 at the time of the alleged abuse.
And it doesn't stop at two victims speaking out - their posts have gained traction online and is said to have lead to others coming forward about Graves too.
Graves, who is currently a teacher at Lexington Junior High, was placed on administrative leave on August 29 and police are investigating the allegations he's facing.
AUHSD has issued a statement on the matter saying that it is cooperating with police.
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"AUHSD has been fully cooperating with the Anaheim Police Department as they investigate this incident to identify any other possible instances of inappropriate behavior, harassment, or sexual misconduct by Graves," the statement began, as per Inside Edition.
"To protect the integrity and confidentiality of the ongoing police investigation the District waited to communicate with parents and staff at his current school, Lexington JHS.
"District leadership met with Lexington staff on [Sept. 9], sent a communication to Lexington families on [Sept. 11], and sent this release on [Sept. 13] following an APD public statement on [Sept. 12], indicating that they had opened an active investigation into these allegations."
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It added that 'paternity tests concluded that Graves had fathered a child with one of the students'.
UNILAD has approached AUHSD and Anaheim Police Department for comment.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org