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OJAI, Calif .– Teams from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office have launched an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving students, teachers and staff at an elite private school in Ojai.
They said there may be more victims or witnesses to the crimes who were not contacted during the initial investigation.
Earlier this month, the Thacher School revealed that it hired a law firm in August to investigate the misconduct allegations. These incidents are said to have taken place over the past 40 years.
A school report describes episodes of suspected rape, unwanted touching and inappropriate comments.
The sheriff’s office said the Ventura County Family Justice Center (VCFJC) is available to help anyone affected by these painful events.
The VCFJC is a collaborative community response to domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and dependent adults, human trafficking, hate crimes and other violent crimes. The model allows a variety of victim services to be offered in one place, under one roof. All services are free and confidential. Victims can receive help whether or not they report to law enforcement.
Ventura County Prosecutor Erik Nasarenko expressed his heartfelt condolences to the survivors and acknowledged that the trauma caused by such experiences can have lasting effects not only on the victim’s life, but also on those of members of the family and friends.
He encouraged anyone with information relating to allegations of sexual assault at Thacher School to contact Sergeant Hector Macias of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office at 805-384-4730.
Additionally, if you or someone you know has been affected, you can contact the Ventura County Family Justice Center for assistance. The center is located at 3170 Loma Vista Road in Ventura. To contact them, you can call 805-652-7655 or email [email protected] or text 805-947-7981.
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