Beaumont Unified Files Suit Against Ex-Teacher Samantha Ciotta

BEAUMONT, CA — A local school district recently sued by a high schooler who had sex with a now-former teacher filed a cross-complaint against the former educator, arguing that she should be held liable for any damages and attorney fees the district could be forced to pay as a result of the lawsuit, court papers obtained Thursday show.

Beaumont Unified School District, former Beaumont High School Principal Christina Pierce and Assistant Principal Ian Young filed the complaint Monday against Samantha Lee Ciotta, 32, of Banning, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to three felony counts of unlawful intercourse with a minor and was sentenced to four years probation.

The former teacher at Beaumont High was arrested last September, three months after her illicit relationship with the then-16-year- old boy came to light. The student, a 10th-grader at the time, was identified only as John Doe in court documents. He first met Ciotta when he was just 15 and in her English class, according to family members.

• SEE ALSO: Sex, Threats and Punching: Beaumont High's Most Scandalous Year

Ciotta was charged after a Snapchat video allegedly surfaced showing the former Beaumont High English teacher partying with minor students wearing a t-shirt and "panties," according to documents obtained by Patch. When police arrested Ciotta, they said they believed there were more possible victims. Documents alleged that a different student boasted to his friends: "Yes … Bro, I'm gettin' in deep … been f------ (Ciotta) and getting threesomes for the past couple weeks (at her house)."

The boy who is suing Beaumont Unified told police he had sex with Ciotta on numerous occasions, but could not remember the exact number of times because he was usually intoxicated during their meetings, according to a declaration in support of an arrest warrant.

Police served multiple search warrants in connection to the case to collect evidence, including collecting DNA samples from the woman's home and SUV where she allegedly had sex with the boy, according to the declaration.

In May, the mother of two reached a plea deal with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. In exchange for her guilty plea to three counts of unlawful intercourse with a minor — charges that could have carried up to four years and four months in prison — she received only probation. A charge of oral copulation was dropped.

The specific charge she pleaded to, commonly referred to as statutory rape, does not mandate that the violator is added to the sex offender registry.

• SEE ALSO: Why A CA Teacher Who Had Sex With Student Is Not A 'Sex Offender'

In April, John Doe filed a lawsuit against the school district, Pierce and Young, alleging that while the sexual abuse was occurring, his guardian and at least one other teacher reported their concerns to school administrators, but nothing was done.

The boy's attorneys contend that "school administrators were aware of numerous red flags showing that the relationship between Ms. Ciotta and our client was becoming inappropriate."

Some of those "red flags" included regularly having Doe spend the night at her house, buying gifts for the teen, including "a phone, expensive shoes, bluetooth speakers," and rumors of Ciotta's relationship with the boy and alcohol use with him and other students. His lawsuit also alleges that Ciotta "engaged in unlawful sexual-related conduct with minors in the past at prior schools, as well as with additional minors at Beaumont High School, both on and off school premises."

Ciotta previously held a teaching position at La Quinta High School.

The school district has denied any wrongdoing and alleges that any injuries caused to Doe should be Ciotta's responsibility, as well as "all sums incurred by cross-complainants by reason of said judgment, settlement, expense of investigation, and expense and costs of litigation, in defending the instant lawsuit."

SEE PREVIOUS:

• Partying In 'Panties': Snapchat Video of Beaumont High Teacher With Students Led To Arrest: PATCH EXCLUSIVE
• Samantha Ciotta, Accused Beaumont High Teacher, Makes Appearance
• Beaumont Teacher Accused Of Sexual Relationship With Student Posts Bail

--

— City News Service contributed to this report / Images by Renee Schiavone