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Six alleged victims claim high school athletics coach, Tiffany Strauss-Gordon, 32, for seven years targeted and sexually exploited ‘poor boys who didn’t have food or rides to school’ – School and coaches knew but no one acted, lawsuit claims

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"109460728"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Six former varsity football players at Colton High School in Los Angeles allege their athletics trainer&comma; Tiffany Strauss-Gordon&comma; raped and sexually assaulted them multiple times between 2000 and 2007 <&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Lawsuit filed against the school district and the trainer has accused the 32-year-old coach of having had sexual intercourse with and giving oral sex to the teen boys&comma; ranging in age from 14 to 17 <&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>The School district is accused of willfully ignoring the long-running sexual abuse of minors by an authority figure <&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>&&num;8216&semi;Despite rampant rumors surrounding Gordon&&num;8217&semi;s misconduct&comma; &lpar;the school district&rpar; knowingly&comma; intentionally&comma; willfully&comma; deliberately&comma; negligently&comma; and&sol;or recklessly allowed Gordon to continue abusing Colton High School&&num;8217&semi;s varsity football players&comma; including plaintiffs&&num;8217&semi; &&num;8211&semi; lawsuit <&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Strauss-Gordon worked for her father&comma; longtime Colton High football coach Harold Strauss&comma; before later becoming the athletic director at Grand Terrace High School <&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>One victim claims Strauss-Gordon preyed on vulnerable students who were poor and in need of help <&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>She targeted specific players because they often required rides home from school or money for food&comma; the former football player said<&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>He also alleges that the abuse was so flagrant that trainer&&num;8217&semi;s father&comma; football coach Harry Strauss walked in on them while she was raping him in the school locker room on Halloween in 2007 <&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>The lawsuit filed by the players claims other members of the football team&comma; coaches&comma; players&&num;8217&semi; parents and school staff knew about Gordon&&num;8217&semi;s misconduct&comma;<strong><strong> but no one acted<&sol;strong><&sol;strong> <&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong><strong>Previous reports to the school district were all ignored&comma; the victim&&num;8217&semi;s said<&sol;strong><&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"has-text-color wp-block-heading" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;332528&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong><strong>The reports only came to light because of Assembly Bill 218&comma; which took effect January 1&comma; that provides victims extended statute of limitations for civil claims&comma; according to the plaintiff&&num;8217&semi;s attorney<&sol;strong><&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2022&sol;10&sol;Tiffany-Gordon-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-418799" width&equals;"838" height&equals;"958"&sol;><figcaption><strong>Former Colton High School athletics trainer Tiffany Strauss-Gordon &lbrack;photo&rsqb;&comma;&rpar; is accused of rape and sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by six former football players&period; One of the players said they believe Gordon targeted specific players because they often required rides home from school or money for food&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>A former California high school football player accusing a female athletic trainer&comma; Tiffany Gordon&comma; of raping him in the early 2000s believes she is a wilful predator who preyed on vulnerable students who were poor and in need of help&period;<br>&&num;8216&semi;I think the fact that we were a bunch of poor kids&comma; nobody had the thought to protect us outside the football field&comma;&&num;8217&semi; a man only identified as John Doe 7042 told the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;latimes&period;com&sol;california&sol;story&sol;2022-10-03&sol;sexual-abuse-high-school-football-players-athletic-trainer-colton">Los Angeles Times<&sol;a>&comma; describing how he and man of her victims often needed rides home or money for food&period;<br>Doe 7042 is one of the six anonymous John Does who suing Colton High School trainer Tiffany Gordon&comma; 32&comma; who they say raped them while they played on the football team between 2000 and 2007&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2022&sol;10&sol;Colton-High-School-LA-California-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-418800" width&equals;"839" height&equals;"702"&sol;><figcaption><strong>Six anonymous John Does are suing Tiffany Gordon&comma; who they say raped them while they played on the football team at Colton High School in Los Angele&comma;s between 2000 and 2007<&sol;strong><&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Doe 7042 said the abuse was so flagrant that on one occasion the then head football couch and athletic director Harold Strauss&comma; even walked in on them while she was raping him in the school locker room on Halloween in 2007&period; Ironically Strauss was not just Gordon&&num;8217&semi;s boss&comma; he was her father&period; Doe 7042 said Strauss asked his daughter why they were in the locker room with the lights off&comma; and she responded they were &&num;8216&semi;just closing up and leaving&period;&&num;8217&semi;<br>She was the daughter of late football coach Harold Strauss&comma; who had a legendary career leading the football program and is credited with helping multiple high school athletes move on to professional football&period; The daughter was a trainer while her father coached the team&period; <br>With that laissez passer&comma; it alleged that coaches joked about the trainer’s actions and dubbed them &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Tiffany’s special treatment&period;”<br>Strauss-Gordon’s alleged inappropriate behavior connected to the legal action took place from 2001 to 2007 with players whose <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;eastbaytimes&period;com&sol;2022&sol;10&sol;03&sol;6-former-colton-high-football-players-allege-sexual-abuse-by-former-coachs-daughter&sol;">ages ranged from 14 to 17<&sol;a>&period; The lawsuit accused her of having had sexual intercourse with and giving oral sex to the teen boys&period;<br>The lawsuit claims other members of the football team&comma; players&&num;8217&semi; parents and school staff were aware of Gordon&&num;8217&semi;s misconduct while the school district failed to report or investigate claims brought to them&period;<br>Gordon worked as the athletic trainer under her father before she became the athletic director at Grand Terrace High School&period; <br>The players recount multiple incidents of rape and abuse between 2000 and 2007&period; <br>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The sheer volume of oral copulation and sexual intercourse occurring between Gordon and the minor student-athletes was not insignificant&comma; and Defendants knew or should have known of the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;nypost&period;com&sol;2021&sol;07&sol;14&sol;fbi-bungled-sex-abuse-case-against-usa-gymnastics-doc-larry-nassar-watchdog&sol;">blatant sexual misconduct<&sol;a> occurring&comma;” the lawsuit states&period;<br>Strauss-Gordon additionally sexually pleasured coaches&comma; the suit alleges&period; One photo from 2005&comma; which spread among players&comma; even showed her giving oral sex to a coach&comma; the East Bay Times reported&comma; citing the lawsuit&period; <br>School sports director Harold Strauss was a larger-than-life figure and the most powerful person in the Colton school district&comma; one ex-player&comma; who is part of the lawsuit&comma; told the East Bay Times&period; Strauss died in 2019 after 30 years of coaching at several different<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2022&sol;10&sol;Harold-Strauss-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-418801" width&equals;"842" height&equals;"880"&sol;><figcaption><strong>Tiffany Gordon worked under her father&comma; Harold Strauss &lbrack;photo&rsqb;&comma; who was the longtime head football coach and athletic director at Colton High up until his death in 2019<&sol;strong><&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>John Doe 7045 claims he told one coach about him and another student being abused and their plans to report it to the district&period; The coach&&num;8217&semi;s wife then suggested this would not be successful&period; <br>The lawsuit says the school district first became aware of allegations against Gordon between 2002 and 2006&period; <br>&&num;8216&semi;Despite rampant rumors surrounding Gordon&&num;8217&semi;s misconduct&comma; &lpar;the school district&rpar; knowingly&comma; intentionally&comma; willfully&comma; deliberately&comma; negligently&comma; and&sol;or recklessly allowed Gordon to continue abusing Colton High School&&num;8217&semi;s varsity football players&comma; including plaintiffs&comma;&&num;8217&semi; the lawsuit reads&period; <br>&&num;8216&semi;In doing so&comma; defendants fostered a pervasive and hostile environment that utterly disregarded the rights and safety of minor athletes who were entrusted to &lpar;the district&rpar;&period;&&num;8217&semi; <br>The Colton Joint Unified School District &lpar;CJUSD&rpar; said in a statement that &&num;8216&semi;although the current administrative team members were not in leadership roles with the district 20 years ago&comma; the district leadership team is extremely concerned about the allegations being made&period;&&num;8217&semi; <br>&&num;8216&semi;Our commitment is always to the safety and well-being of our students&comma; families and staff&comma; and we will work with local law enforcement to protect our community and lend our support to any victims in this case&period;&&num;8217&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2022&sol;10&sol;Colton-High-School-football-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-418802" width&equals;"839" height&equals;"397"&sol;><figcaption><strong>One of the former players on the Colton High School football team believe Gordon targeted specific players because they often required rides home from school or money for food&period; Previous reports to the school district were ignored&period; The reports only came to light because of Assembly Bill 218&comma; which took effect January 1&comma; that provides victims extended statute of limitations for civil claims <&sol;strong><&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The football players were able to report these allegations because of Assembly Bill 218&comma; which took effect January 1 to provide alleged victims an extended statute of limitations for civil claims&period;<br>&&num;8216&semi;This important law gives survivors of sexual abuse an opportunity to be heard and a chance to heal&comma;&&num;8217&semi; said Brian Williams&comma; the attorney representing the former athletes&period;<br>John Doe 7043 transferred to the school during his senior year in 2003&period; While on the football team&comma; he says Gordon made advances on him while inviting him to a drive-in theater date in which she sexually abused him in the back seat of the car&period; <br>John Doe 7047 joined the team as a sophomore in 2000 and alleges Gordon first raped him when he was 16 and that she continued to do so throughout his high school career&period;<br>After joining the varsity football team in 2001&comma; John Doe 7042 said he was sexually assaulted by Gordon while he was treated for injuries suffered while he played football&period;<br>His abuse continued to escalate throughout his time at the school as he was then allegedly raped by Gordon in the school&&num;8217&semi;s locker room&comma; in bathrooms&comma; in the school&&num;8217&semi;s weight room and in a trailer&period; <br>While hearing rumors about Gordon&&num;8217&semi;s sexual abuse as a freshman&comma; John Doe 7044 says in his senior year he confronted the athletic trainer&comma; in a text about the rumors&period;<br>In response Gordon allegedly told him to send her pictures of his penis and sent him nude photographs of herself&period; She allegedly sexually assaulted him the next day in the locker room and the abuse continued throughout his senior year until he cut off contract with her&period; <br>&&num;8216&semi;They really could&&num;8217&semi;ve stopped it at any time&comma;&&num;8217&semi; he told the LA Times&period; <br>&&num;8216&semi;Everybody knew from when I stepped foot on Colton High that it was a rumor&comma; so at the very least&comma; they could&&num;8217&semi;ve seen what this rumor was about&period; At no point did they ever step in to stop it&period;&&num;8217&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2022&sol;10&sol;Tiffany-Gordon-arrest-complaint-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-418803" width&equals;"835" height&equals;"557"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2022&sol;10&sol;Tiffany-Gordon-arrest-complaint-2&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-418804" width&equals;"849" height&equals;"446"&sol;><figcaption>Lawsuit filed by six former Colton High School football players against athletic trainer Tiffany Gordon&comma; accuses both Gordon and the Colton Joint Unified School District for various counts of negligence in addition to sexual battery and sexual harassment<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Through the years of sexual abuse&comma; the players said Gordon&&num;8217&semi;s actions were perceived as &&num;8216&semi;normal&comma; and even lauded&&num;8217&semi; because of how the coaches responded to the rumors&period; <br>The victims feel the school’s coaches and other administrators failed to protect them and that a system should be put in place to help students report alleged misconduct&period;<br>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I felt like we couldn’t say anything&period; That our words wouldn’t have mattered&comma;” John Doe 7046 said in an interview&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;When I got older&comma; I didn’t want my kid or anyone else’s kid to feel like how we felt — like we didn’t have a voice&period;” <br>The plaintiffs believe the alleged abuse was perceived as &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;normal&comma; and even lauded” because of the coaches’ minimization of the assaults&comma; adding that it &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;significantly affected and shaped the students’ perceptions of intimacy&comma; relationships and responsibilities at a young and impressionable age&period;”<br>Strauss-Gordon who is now employed at another school has been placed on administrative leave&comma; but her attorney claims that no charges have been filed against his client&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p> <&sol;p>&NewLine;

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