A former high school music teacher was sentenced Monday to several years in prison for sexually assaulting a student from a private Berkeley school, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
Jason Hoopes, 50, was sentenced to 6 years and 8 months in state prison, prosecutors said.
He is also required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Hoopes was arrested in May 2025 and charged with arranging to meet a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, oral copulation with a person under 18 and unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under 18.
“This case represents a profound betrayal of trust. Our foremost concern is, and always will be, with the well-being of the survivor.”
District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson
Hoopes was a teacher at Bayhill High School, which “specializes in serving students in grades 7-12 with diagnosed learning disabilities, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD/ADD, auditory/visual processing disorders, and executive functioning challenges,” according to its website.
Police said they began investigating after concerns were raised by those close to the victim and the victim’s family regarding Hoopes’ interactions with the victim.
The school said it initially made a mandated report about inappropriate text messages between Hoopes and a student and has since fired Hoopes.
“This case represents a profound betrayal of trust,” said District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson. “Our foremost concern is, and always will be, with the well-being of the survivor.”
