A Palo Alto school has reached a multi-million dollar settlement with former students after they accused the school of ignoring complaints regarding a tutor who allegedly molested them.
Castilleja School, an all-girls private middle and high school, has agreed to a $2.25 million settlement with three former students who were alleged victims of Mark Hodes, a math tutor accused of sexually assaulting them during tutoring sessions as far back as 2002.
A lawsuit accused the school of dismissing numerous complaints brought by students against Hodes and concealing his behavior from authorities and the school community. Castilleja recommended Hodes to students as a tutor and allowed him to use school facilities for his tutoring sessions up until his arrest in 2020.
“This settlement is a clear acknowledgment of a failure that began decades ago,” Lauren Cerri, an attorney for the former students, said in a statement. “We hope it moves Castilleja to finally address the harm caused to every survivor.”
“The trauma these women carry was entirely preventable had the school prioritized student safety over its institutional reputation.”
Mary Alexander, attorney for the women
Castilleja has denied the accusations of its liability in the alleged assaults.
While three former students brought the lawsuit against Castilleja, more than a dozen other women have come forward alleging they were also victims of Hodes. The criminal case against Hodes is ongoing.
According to the complaint against Castilleja, the three women were allegedly molested by Hodes on a weekly basis for several years while they were students. Hodes conducted tutoring sessions on campus and at his home.
Hodes’ behavior was well-known around campus, with some students giving him nicknames such as “Horny Hodes” and “Molesting Mark,” according to the complaint.
At one point, a Castilleja employee notified the administration of the accusations against Hodes. Instead of taking appropriate action and reporting Hodes to law enforcement, Castilleja allegedly tried to resolve the concerns by moving his tutoring sessions from private rooms into a more public area on campus.
The suit also accused Castilleja of continuing to recommend Hodes to students with knowledge that he had been reprimanded in the past for allegations of sexual abuse. In 1997, Hodes was kicked off of Palo Alto High School’s campus for allegedly sexually abusing a student he tutored, according to the complaint.
“The trauma these women carry was entirely preventable had the school prioritized student safety over its institutional reputation,” said Mary Alexander, an attorney for the women. “While this settlement is a step toward justice for three survivors, 14 other young women have bravely come forward with similar accounts.”
Hodes is facing 55 charges related to sexual abuse with minors. In 2022, a judge ruled in a preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence to move forward with a trial.
A hearing to set a trial date began last month and will be continued to April 21, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
