CLOVIS (CA)
EdSource [Oakland, CA]
February 6, 2026
By Edsource staff
For the second time in less than a year, Clovis Unified School District in Fresno County is being accused of ignoring sexual abuse, the Fresno Bee reported.
A former Clovis North High School student is suing the school district and two men convicted of sex crimes in other cases. She alleges that the men groomed students and that they were able to do so because of the district’s lack of oversight, the Bee reported.
The lawsuit, filed Dec. 19, alleges that the school’s drama teacher, Andrew Cardillo, often behaved inappropriately toward students and allowed community member and parent Michael Conner into the classroom, according to The Bee. Conner allegedly began sexually abusing the complainant in March 2010 after months of grooming.
Clovis Unified failed to conduct proper background checks on Cardillo, to investigate rumors of his inappropriate behavior and to oversee the department, the lawsuit alleged. A district spokesperson told The Bee that Cardillo left Clovis Unified in January 2012, and Conner was never an employee.
This isn’t the first time the district has been accused of negligence. Stating the district has a “pattern of ignoring outcries of sexual abuse,” the complaint cited the case of Fancher Creek Elementary School teacher Neng Yang, who is serving a 38-year prison sentence for the sexual exploitation of a minor.
Five women sued Clovis Unified in June, alleging the district ignored their sexual abuse claims against Yang, whom they had complained about and reported to the school administration. The lawsuit said school officials kept the allegations quiet and never investigated Yang, a second grade teacher.
Dating back decades, the cases are a few of many based on 2020 legislation that allows victims of abuse by school employees to seek damages for incidents. The legislation extended the deadline for victims to file child sex abuse claims until age 40 or within five years of a new illness or “psychological injury” as a result of abuse. More lawsuits alleging childhood sexual abuse have been filed against school districts than were predicted when the law was passed.