A San Francisco special education paraeducator has been charged with multiple felony counts after prosecutors said he sexually abused a student over several years while working in the city’s public schools.
Calvin Tran, 36, was charged with several counts of child sexual assault for incidents that prosecutors say occurred between 2015 and 2018, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.
Tran made his first court appearance Friday, and his arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 3. Prosecutors have asked that he be held without bail, citing the potential risk to public safety.
According to a statement from the San Francisco Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, “the investigation discovered that the adult male suspect had an inappropriate relationship with the victim for several years that ended when the victim was a teenager. The victim was a student in a school where the suspect was a teacher.”
Maria Su, San Francisco Unified School District superintendent, speaks at the San Francisco Unified School District office on April 21, 2025 in San Francisco. In a message to families late Friday, Su called the sexual abuse allegations of a student against paraeducator Calvin Tran “deeply concerning.” (Lea Suzuki/S.F. Chronicle)
Tran faces multiple felony counts, including committing lewd acts upon a child, continuous sexual abuse, oral copulation of a person under 14, aggravated sexual assault of a child, forcible oral copulation of a minor 14 or older, and four counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes.
According to court records, the alleged assaults took place at multiple locations, including Francisco Middle School, where the victim was a student at the time.
Police said the victim reported the assaults in August, nearly a decade after they allegedly began. Tran was arrested Thursday by the SFPD’s Fugitive Recovery Enforcement Team and remains in custody.
In a message sent to families, San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su described the allegations as “deeply concerning” and confirmed that Tran had been placed on leave immediately after the district learned of his arrest. Tran, a Washington High School graduate, most recently worked at Argonne Elementary School.
“We care deeply about the safety and well-being of our students, and we are aware of the trust you place in our staff to keep your children safe,” Su wrote. “Please know that your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to us.”
Su said the district requires all employees to complete annual mandated reporter training, pass criminal background checks, and receive instruction on maintaining professional boundaries with students.
Families with information were urged to contact the San Francisco Police Department tip line at 415-575-4444 or text “SFPD” to TIP411.
District officials said school counselors and social workers are available for students and families seeking support.
This article originally published at San Francisco teacher charged with sexually abusing student over several years.