Revealing Scandal: Former Orange County School of the Arts Student Files Lawsuit Alleging Founder’s Sexual Assault
September 23, 2022
A shocking lawsuit has been filed against the Santa Ana Unified School District by a former student of the renowned Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA). The plaintiff, whose identity remains undisclosed, accuses the school’s founder, Ralph S. Opacic, of sexually assaulting him. The lawsuit, obtained by sources close to the case, was officially filed on Thursday.
The plaintiff, born in 1987, the same year OCSA was established, resided in California at the time of the alleged assault. According to the suit, Opacic had been exploiting his position of power within OCSA for years, creating a toxic environment that allowed him to prey on vulnerable students.
As of now, representatives from the district and the school have not responded to requests for comment. Opacic retired at the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year.
The lawsuit paints a grim picture of the situation, describing it as preventable and tragic. It alleges that Opacic, the founder of one of the most esteemed arts schools in the country, took advantage of OCSA’s students, who sought refuge and professional artistic training at the institution as a means of escaping adversity and bullying. However, instead of protecting and nurturing these students, the OCSA administration chose to turn a blind eye to rumors and warning signs of Opacic’s misconduct with minors. Their motivation was to safeguard the reputation of the school’s renowned founder.
Opacic initially established OCSA as an after-school arts program in Los Alamitos in 1987. Due to its success, he expanded it into a charter school located in Santa Ana in 2000. Over the years, the school has produced numerous distinguished alumni.
The plaintiff started attending OCSA in the year 2000. Hailing from Oakland, he had endured bullying due to his passion for the performing arts. OCSA became his sanctuary, where he finally felt accepted. He fully immersed himself in all aspects of the school, embracing its teachings and values.
However, the plaintiff soon realized that the school community had an unhealthy obsession with protecting Opacic’s reputation and preserving his vision for OCSA. Teachers, faculty members, and the administration fostered a cult-like atmosphere that idolized Opacic. Such idolization grew so strong that even when rumors of Opacic’s sexual involvement with students began to circulate, these individuals opted to ignore the warning signs.
The plaintiff claims he had been warned about rumors of Opacic’s sexual relationships with other minor students. Shockingly, these rumors were discussed so casually that it seemed as if such behavior was normalized within OCSA.
According to the lawsuit, when the plaintiff was a 17-year-old junior, Opacic targeted him for sexual grooming. It started with seemingly harmless teasing emails, which gradually escalated into sexually explicit and inappropriate content. The plaintiff, initially flattered, believed he was receiving special attention.
After several weeks of this flirtatious behavior, Opacic summoned the plaintiff during his history class and sexually assaulted him in his office, according to the lawsuit. Weeks later, they met at a restaurant in Tustin, where Opacic allegedly urged the plaintiff to keep the assault a secret.
The lawsuit accuses the district and the school of negligence, negligent supervision and retention, sexual battery, and sexual harassment.
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