Ex-Santa Cruz Teacher Faces Student Sexual Misconduct Allegations

SANTA CRUZ, CA — A former teacher at a Santa Cruz college-preparatory school is alleged to have groomed and behaved inappropriately with students during his tenure at an elite San Jose Catholic high school, a recently released report shows. Another former student reportedly told an administrator he sexually assaulted her months after her graduation, according to the report.

The news was first reported by the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Jeff House, who was an English teacher and department chair at Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School in Santa Cruz from 2004 to 2015, continues to work with high school students, college students and schools through his consulting business, according to his website.

House, who has not responded to requests for comment left Friday morning, said on his website that he is a lecturer for weekend and summer seminars organized by the College Board, which conducts college entrance exams.

The allegations date back to House's 1999 to 2004 tenure at Presentation High School in San Jose — just before his job at Kirby School — during which time he served as an English and journalism teacher. House was one of 12 staff members accused of sexual misconduct and/or abuse in the report, which was compiled by Sacramento law firm Van Dermyden Maddux. The 37-page investigative report summarized from interviews with 75 people revealed a pattern of abuse at the school from the early 1980s through 2013.

Kirby School said in a statement that it is concerned by the report. The school is not aware of any such complaints about House during his time there, but has hired an external investigator to look into any possible past incidents of sexual misconduct during his tenure at the school. The findings will be released to the public after the investigation concludes.

"We are deeply committed to our past and present students’ health, safety and well-being, which is why we are taking these allegations very seriously," the school said.

Allegations Of Inappropriate Acts

At Presentation High, House was alleged to have groomed and had inappropriate relationships with two students, including one student who accused him of sexually assaulting her at his home shortly after her graduation, Van Dermyden Maddux said in the report.

That incident is alleged to have occurred in 2002 or 2003, during the woman's freshman year in college, according to the report. A classmate reportedly received a cautionary email warning that the woman went to House's home for dinner during a break from college, was given alcohol and cannabis brownies, then woke up naked on his couch, according to the report.

"The proximity in time of the relationship to [the woman's] time as a student, however, suggests, at a minimum, House likely engaged in grooming or other boundary-crossing conduct," the report said.

Top school administrator Mary Miller said the affected student told her about the encounter, but initially described it as consensual. Miller did not report the matter because the woman was 18 years old at the time and asked Miller not to tell anyone, but the woman later returned to tell her about drugs and a lack of consent, according to the report. Miller said she believed the woman returned after House had left Presentation High and encouraged her to file a police report, Van Dermyden Maddux wrote.

Another student said House behaved inappropriately toward her and gave her A grades, no matter what she turned in, according to the report. He sent her emails on the weekend "to the effect of, 'I miss you,' 'I really like you,'" according to the report.

House wrote the following message in her yearbook, according to the report:

"Okay, apparently nothing I think matters to you anyway, so have fun at that other place while I gaze wistfully at the desk only slightly to my right (heavy sigh here). Well, you could at least email [email address redacted] or call when you’re REALLY bored [phone number redacted]. Other than that… Ahh hell, I’m gonna miss you. Love, JH."

The girl's mother convinced the student to leave the school. The student said she believed her mother met with Miller and explained that she was leaving and pulling donations because House crossed boundaries with her daughter, according to the report. Miller denied being aware of this and recalled the student left because of another matter.

Three people interviewed by Van Dermyden Maddux said they heard House dated his students, according to the report. A former Presentation High staff member said she felt House was a creep and saw him having an intimate conversation with a student in the parking lot, according to the report.

Presentation High apologized in a statement.

"The stark truth is that our school did not live up to its commitment to protect you. We added further harm when we responded defensively when reports of past abuse began to surface in 2017," the school wrote. "We understand that words cannot measure our regret or erase the harm that you endured. You were hurt, and we can only hope to make amends by caring for you now and doing everything within our power to ensure that students now and in the future will be cared for and safe."

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