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Parents Sue Sacramento School District Over Disturbing Child Molestation Conviction

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The family of a girl sexually assaulted inside a Sacramento classroom by an after-school teacher, says the school didn't do enough to protect her.

Families at the school are still in disbelief over the molestation conviction.

"It's still a shocker cause he was really a nice guy from what he showed us," parent Brenda Hernandez said. "But we never knew what happened behind those closed doors."

RELATED: Former After-School Program Employee Convicted Of Molestation Sentenced To Life In Prison

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Behind closed doors in an after school program at Mark Twain Elementary, recreational aide Joshua Vasquez played out his perverted fantasies.

Vasquez recorded himself on his cellphone inside his classroom, performing sex acts with blindfolded children, 60 separate times. Prosecutors say he would take children into his classroom, lock the door and blindfold them while playing several games intended to have them touch his genitals. These games included the "cool whip," "juice" and "treasure chest" games.

Hernandez's son is an after-school student, who was not among Vasquez's victims.

"You know we had to ask him questions, 'Did Josh do anything to him?'" Hernandez said.

Now that Vasquez has been criminally convicted, the first of at least six children's families has filed a lawsuit against the Sacramento City Unified School District and city, alleging they ignored red flag warnings.

"There were at least two prior complaints that put them on actual notice that this fellow was a potential disaster," Attorney Stewart Katz said.

The lawsuit reads in part:

...any reasonable supervision of Vasquez's classroom would have noted as odd the presence of blindfolds, whip cream, lubricant...and other props to make his perverse fantasies a reality...

"This was really bad, bad, sick conduct that took place for an extended period of time," Katz said.

The school district issued a statement reading in part:

We hope that there can be healing with time and support. Our legal team was aware of the possibility of a lawsuit and is ready to address it once we are served.

An after-school teacher preying on children he was hired to protect.
Now a lawsuit alleging his supervisors...should have done more.

"This is just not acceptable at all," Hernandez said.

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