UPDATE, 9/8/25 – The next hearing in the lawsuit has been continued to 9 a.m. Friday at the Civic Center Courthouse in San Francisco. To watch the hearing remotely via Zoom, visit this link or use Zoom ID number 160 409 7690 and enter in passcode 516287.
AT A SCHEDULED SEPT. 8 HEARING in San Francisco Superior Court, lawyers will argue whether a lawsuit should proceed that alleges a Mendocino College professor sexually assaulted two underage students more than 20 years ago at San Francisco Waldorf High School, where he was employed as a substitute teacher and tutor.
Jason Davis and his attorney Eric Schattl filed a motion asking for a stay in proceedings in the civil lawsuit “until the conclusion of any related criminal investigation or until the threat of such an investigation has subsided.”
The lawsuit alleges that Davis, who worked for Waldorf and a tutoring service called One Smart Kid, sexually assaulted two minors identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 in the early 2000s.
The plaintiffs seek damages from Davis in connection with the alleged assaults and from Waldorf and One Smart Kid for what they allege was negligence in hiring and supervising Davis. The women seek punitive damages and the cost of the lawsuit, which was filed in May.
The Mendocino Voice reached out to Davis for comment, but he and his attorney declined to respond.
San Francisco Waldorf High School filed a response to the lawsuit denying all allegations against the school. One Smart Kid, which provides tutoring services for K-12 students in the Bay Area, also filed a response denying the allegations.
The Mendocino Voice requested a comment from San Francisco Waldorf High School, which responded that the school “is aware of the lawsuit and allegations against Jason Davis. We take any allegation involving the safety and well-being of our students very seriously. The safety of our students — past and present — has always been, and remains, our highest priority. We are committed to reviewing the circumstances surrounding the events from 2003-2004 with the utmost care and responsibility.”
The Mendocino Voice also requested a comment from One Smart Kid and did not receive a response.
Defense seeks stay amid investigation
Last month, Mark Boskovich, the plaintiffs’ attorney and a partner at San Jose-based firm Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, filed an opposition to the defendant’s motion to stay in the civil proceedings, saying “there is no basis for imposing a stay based on the mere possibility that criminal charges might be brought at some unknown point in the future.”
In response to that opposition, Davis and his attorney responded with another filing that said, “recent developments unequivocally confirm the existence of an active criminal investigation” into what it called “a separate but potentially related matter.”
The filing said, “Law enforcement is actively engaged in this matter, which includes interviewing individuals associated with Mr. Davis and has now extended to requesting a statement directly from Mr. Davis.”
The filing argued that “any civil discovery in this matter would severely impact his ability to defend himself in the ongoing criminal investigation, as any discovery in this civil matter could be used to incriminate him in the criminal investigation that is currently underway.”
Davis has lived in Mendocino County for most of his life and taught English and theater at Mendocino College’s Ukiah campus. He worked at the college for about 20 years, but was placed on administrative leave this summer, according to Mendocino College’s communications director.
Additionally, in a response to a request for comment on the lawsuit, the college’s communications director wrote in an email, “We can confirm that Jason Davis is employed as a faculty member at Mendocino College. However, it is our policy not to discuss personnel matters publicly. Please be assured that the safety of our students and employees is of utmost importance to us, and we address all complaints promptly and thoroughly.”
Before Davis began teaching at Mendocino College, the lawsuit alleges Davis was employed by One Smart Kid to tutor students attending the Waldorf school in San Francisco.
The filing alleges that Davis used his position of authority to groom two students for future sexual advances. The discovery process, where the parties in the lawsuit exchange evidence, is in its beginning stages.
Timeline of alleged abuse described
According to the complaint, Davis was employed through One Smart Kid and eventually hired by the high school to be a substitute teacher and an assistant to the theater program in the early 2000s.
The lawsuit states that before Davis was hired as a substitute teacher, he worked as a tutor and taught Jane Doe 1 twice a week inside the Waldorf school’s art room. Davis was 31 years old at the time.
The lawsuit states that around January 2003, while Davis was still a tutor, he allegedly coerced Jane Doe 1 to stay behind at school while the rest of the students went on a field trip. The lawsuit alleges that Davis led Jane Doe 1 to a large room at the school with two big curtains where Davis undressed the student.
While Jane Doe 1 was partially undressed, the filing alleges, a Waldorf administrator entered the room and walked past the curtains. Davis allegedly moved Jane Doe 1 to another section of the room, but the administrator could see the student sitting on a chair with her shirt on inside out. Davis was standing above the student, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit then alleges, “After gaining Jane Doe 1’s trust, Davis went on to sexually assault her multiple times on school grounds from January 2003 through the end of her junior year.”
Davis allegedly transported Jane Doe 1 using his car or public transportation to his apartment to engage in sexual activities, according to the filing. The lawsuit alleges that on one such day, Davis took Jane Doe 1’s virginity.
The filing states that in the summer of 2003, the Waldorf school offered Davis a part-time teaching position to teach English and drama for the school year of 2003-2004.
The lawsuit also alleges that Davis had inappropriate relations with Jane Doe 2, who was a sophomore during the school year of 2003-2004, and that “Davis used his position of trust and authority as the SFWHS play director to openly groom her for his future sexual advances.”
According to the filing, Davis allegedly drove Jane Doe 2 home in his car after theater practices. Jane Doe 2 was 15 years old at the time. Davis allegedly began using these drives with Jane Doe 2 to engage in sexual activities, according to the lawsuit. According to the filing, in June 2004, Davis allegedly brought Jane Doe 2 to his apartment under the pretense that he was driving her home, and he took her virginity.
Monday’s hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Civic Center Courthouse in San Francisco.
This story originally appeared in The Mendocino Voice.