Prosecutors say too much time has passed to pursue abuse allegations at Ventura County school

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Ventura County prosecutors say criminal charges will not be brought as part of an investigation into a series of sexual abuse allegations involving a notorious private school.

In August 2021, Thatcher School officials notified the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office that there were allegations of abuse at the Ojai Valley school dating back decades. Sheriff’s Detectives and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office jointly conducted the investigation. But, they determined that the statute of limitations had expired in nearly all of the 100 potential cases.

Three were eventually submitted to the prosecutor’s office, but again the charges were not filed due to the statute of limitations. They also determined that too much time had passed to pursue some recent abuse charges unrelated to the decades-old incidents.

But, prosecutors blasted Thatchers’ handling of the situation. They noted that instead of immediately notifying authorities, the school hired a private law firm that conducted a months-long internal investigation. They say that has hampered their efforts, with some potential suspects refusing to speak to county investigators.

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