A former student of Sunny Hills High School has filed a lawsuit against the Fullerton Joint Union High School District, claiming district officials knew of, or should have known about, misconduct by a band instructor and chose to conceal it rather than act.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit, filed on July 10 in Orange County Superior Court, names the school district and band instructor Albert Anthony Morales Jr. as defendants. The plaintiff is identified only as Jane PA Doe, with the case number 30-2026-01584773-CU-PO-CJC. <\/p>\n
As of now, the allegations remain unproven, and the defendants have not responded to the lawsuit. They are expected to respond through the standard litigation process. The school district has not replied to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
According to the complaint, the defendants allegedly knew or should have been aware of Morales\u2019s inappropriate conduct with minors and had a duty to inform the plaintiff, her parents, and others about it. Instead, the lawsuit claims that the district officials suppressed, concealed, or failed to disclose this information, violating their fiduciary duty and the *in loco parentis* responsibility they held.<\/p>\n
The complaint also asserts that the District failed to implement appropriate safeguards to prevent further misconduct and allowed Morales to take on roles that involved direct contact with students. It alleges that officials intentionally obscured facts that could have led to Morales\u2019s prosecution and maintained a plan to protect the District\u2019s reputation rather than act in the best interest of students.<\/p>\n
Attorney Morgan Stewart, representing the plaintiff, stated that the individual was 16 at the time of the alleged abuse and reported the incidents to law enforcement in 2013. After years of therapy, she decided to pursue a civil claim. Court records reveal that Morales was prosecuted in Los Angeles County over a decade ago for similar offenses. Sheriff\u2019s officials announced in February 2013 that Morales, then 33, was arrested after accusations arose from a 22-year-old woman who detailed her abuse occurring when she was 16. The sheriff\u2019s department reported that these incidents took place at various locations, not on school grounds. Morales was charged with multiple felony counts, including oral copulation of an unconscious person and sexual penetration by a foreign object. Ultimately, he pleaded no contest to one of the charges.<\/p>\n
Morales had a 13-year career as a percussion instructor across various schools in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including tenures at Diamond Bar High School, Sunny Hills, and Diamond Ranch High School. It remains unclear whether he was an employee, contractor, or volunteer at Sunny Hills, a distinction critical in negligence cases.<\/p>\n
Sunny Hills High School is one of six comprehensive high schools in the District, which serves approximately 12,000 students. The District is overseen by a five-member Board of Trustees. Board President Marilyn Buchi, who has served since 1983, is currently the longest-serving member, with others joining in subsequent years.<\/p>\n
Sources: <\/p>\n
Complaint in Orange County Superior Court Case No. 30-2026-01584773-CU-PO-CJC; MyNewsLA, July 28, 2026; CBS Los Angeles, Patch and NBC Los Angeles, February 2013; FJUHSD website; Fullerton Observer, Feb. 19, 2026.<\/p>\n
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