Greenberg Gross has filed a lawsuit filed against the Orange and Tustin Unified School Districts and former coach Anthony Oscar Alcala on behalf of two former high school athletes. The lawsuit alleges that school officials failed to protect the young women from years of sexual abuse by Alcala, who coached girls wrestling teams at both El Modena and Foothill High Schools.
The civil complaint, filed in Orange County Superior Court on June 12, 2025, seeks unspecified damages and accuses Alcala of sexual assault and sexual battery spanning from 2017 to 2023. The lawsuit also alleges negligent hiring and supervision against both school districts.
“It’s a privilege to represent these brave young women, whose strength in coming forward is nothing short of extraordinary,” said Jemma Dunn, attorney at Greenberg Gross. “Their unwavering courage is both humbling and inspiring — and has the power to drive real, lasting change.”
According to the lawsuit, Alcala allegedly began grooming and sexually abusing the first plaintiff in 2017 when she was a 15-year-old sophomore at El Modena High School. The abuse continued throughout her high school years in various locations, including school facilities, hotel rooms, and vehicles. After the first victim graduated, Alcala allegedly began targeting the second plaintiff, also a minor wrestler, ultimately impregnating her when she was 16 years old.
The lawsuit details a disturbing pattern of ignored warning signs and missed opportunities for intervention. Despite multiple reports from concerned coaches and obvious red flags, school officials allegedly failed to take appropriate action to protect the students. The complaint alleges that educators, who are mandatory reporters under California law, failed to report suspected abuse to authorities.
“These schools failed in their most basic duty, which is to keep children safe,” said Brian Williams, co-counsel at Greenberg Gross representing both plaintiffs. “Their inaction allowed this predator to prey on vulnerable girls for years.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department arrested Alcala in April 2025 on suspicion of multiple felonies, including having sex with a minor, following a tip from the U.S. Center for SafeSport. He remains free on bail while awaiting trial.
Both young women, now 22 and 19 years old respectively, have courageously spoken out about their experiences in hopes of preventing similar abuse and protecting future students. The lawsuit highlights systemic failures in supervision and reporting that enabled the abuse to continue unchecked.
“What happened to me should never have happened, and I believe it could have been prevented,” said one of the plaintiffs. “No student should have to go through what I did, and I want to do my part to make schools and sports programs safer for everyone.”
Greenberg Gross is committed to holding institutions accountable for their duty to protect students and ensuring that robust safeguards are in place to prevent such abuse in the future. The firm encourages any other potential victims to come forward.
Linked and Related News Coverage:
- Former teen athletes allege OC school officials failed to protect them from predatory coach
June 13, 2025 | The Orange County Register - Authorities seeking additional victims of OC coach accused of having sex with underage girls
May 10, 2025 | ABC 7 - Wrestling coach from Huntington Beach accused of sex with teen girls
April 9, 2025 | Daily Pilot - Southern California wrestling coach arrested for allegedly having sex with teen students
April 9, 2025 | KTLA 5