A former American Canyon High School teacher “groomed” a student he is accused of sexually abusing, according to a recent lawsuit that also claims school officials punished a classmate who reported the alleged abuse earlier this year year.

The lawsuit, filed Oct. 29 in Napa County Superior Court, names the Napa Valley Unified School District and Sonoma resident and teacher Brad Rowell. arrested and charged in April.

Family members of the 16-year-old victim, identified as Jane Doe, filed the lawsuit, seeking unspecified damages.

The lawsuit accuses Rowell, 42, of sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress; and the school district for negligent supervision of students and negligent hiring, training, supervision and retention.

She details the events that led to Rowell’s arrest and claims school officials mishandled the matter when it was reported by a girl identified as Student 1.

“We have to question how Rowell felt emboldened enough to commit this abuse so openly and blatantly and on a school campus so many times,” Jane Doe’s attorney, Kelly Van Aken, said in an Oct. 31 statement. “We believe that the failure of former Principal Andrew Goff and other NVUSD employees to report the abuse — instead of choosing to punish the young student who bravely reported it — is part of the answer to that question.”

Goff he was charged in June with one felony count of failing to report suspected criminal activity as a mandated reporter, a person whose duty it is to report known or suspected abuse or neglect. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 19.

He was placed on administrative leave in June, and school district officials did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday about the lawsuit’s allegations.

Rowell remains in custody at the Napa County Jail and also could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

He has a preliminary hearing Nov. 20 in Napa County Superior Court where he faces 16 counts of lewd acts on a minor, six counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts of oral copulation of a minor and one charge of possession of child pornography.

Three of Rowell’s allegations of lewdness refers to the alleged activity between August 2008 and January 2010 in Stanislaus County involving a victim identified as Jane Doe 2.

The rest relates to Jane Doe 1.

Trial charges

Investigators previously said Rowell and Jane Doe 1 engaged in sexual acts on campus when she was 15, including in a weight room and a grooming closet.

Also, they said, more than 1,300 text messages between the two were discovered, including sexually explicit photos and videos of the teenager, which investigators say Rowell requested.

According to the lawsuit, Rowell became interested in Jane Doe when she began attending American Canyon High School in the fall of 2022 as a freshman.

She was interested in sports and fitness, and Rowell used his position as a physical education teacher and cross country coach to manipulate her, the plaintiffs say.

He is accused of frequently complimenting her physical condition, making playful jokes and giving her special attention, such as a secret handshake. At the end of the school year, the complaint says, he wrote in a letter that Jane Doe was his favorite student.

They continued to spend time together through the 2023-24 school year, including running alone and driving to and from cross country practice together.

“Plaintiff had never had a boyfriend or romantic relationship before, and Rowell’s attention was confusing but flattering,” the complaint states. “When the complainant felt unsure and confused, Rowell reassured the complainant that she could trust him, reminding the complainant that he was her teacher and coach, not some guy on the street.”

The abuse began that summer and continued through the 2023-24 school year, according to the complaint. Rowell is said to have taken steps to be alone with Jane Doe on campus, including using “academic support passes” signed by staff to allow her to leave class and visit.

Rumors and concern about their relationship became rampant in November 2023.

The complaint states that Student 1 reported the issue in early April to a school counselor who consulted with a colleague before speaking with Goff.

It is alleged that none of them contacted the authorities and that Goff instead he approaches Rowell.

It states that Rowell claimed that Student 1 “was the real problem and was obsessed with him.” He asked Goff to remove her from his class and the principal complied.

Student 1’s mother contacted Goff twice in early April about the poor response, and her complaint reached a school resource officer, who arranged an interview with Jane Doe.

On April 8, Jane Doe verified that she and Rowell had an inappropriate sexual relationship, and he was arrested shortly after.

The matter continued to be discussed on campus and a professor “spoke to his students in an inappropriate and offensive manner about sexual abuse,” according to the complaint.

The students accused the teacher of victim blaming when, in response to the matter, he told them to dress appropriately.

In response to the rejection, the teacher defended Rowell and told the students “his career is ruined” and that Jane Doe must have done something wrong to be arrested.

Officials said Jane Doe was never arrested. However, the teacher was surprised when students told her he was still at school after Rowell’s arrest, according to the complaint.

“He later implied that the plaintiff could return to school because she was out on bail, perpetuating the harmful and false rumor circulating on campus that the plaintiff had indeed been arrested,” the complaint states.

Van Aken, Jane Doe’s attorney, told The Press Democrat on Tuesday that her client continues to attend American Canyon High School.

“Jane Doe is doing as well as you can expect a child to be in her circumstances,” she said. “She and her family hope this lawsuit will hold the school district accountable for its failure to keep children safe.”

You can contact writer Colin Atagi at [email protected]. On Twitter @colin_atagi