A math teacher at Oakland School for the Arts has filed a lawsuit against his former school, seeking at least $4 million in damages after being fired and prosecuted for alleged sexual relations with a 14-year-old student—a case that was later dismissed.
Jeremy Taylor, 50, filed the lawsuit four years after his termination. He was fired in 2022 after a female student accused him of "grooming" and having sex multiple times while she was in 9th grade.
Three months after losing his job, Taylor was arrested and charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office with a felony count of lewd acts with a minor aged 14–15.
However, after nearly three years, approximately 20 hearings, and significant legal costs, prosecutors dropped the charges in March 2025. The civil plaintiff also withdrew her separate lawsuit against Taylor, although she had previously reached a $1.1 million settlement with the school.
In the new lawsuit, Taylor claims the school conducted a rushed investigation, ignored inconsistencies in statements, and failed to consider the accuser's history of mental health issues. He maintains his innocence and asserts that his professional reputation has been severely damaged, leaving him unable to find new work in the education sector.
Case records show the student told friends in 2021 that she and the teacher had sexual relations about 10 times. A friend reported this to the police, leading to criminal and internal investigations.
The school stated that its independent investigation at the time found the allegations to be substantiated. Taylor turned himself in after an arrest warrant was issued in May 2022.
Taylor’s lawyers argue that if basic investigative procedures had been fully followed, the school would have discovered the allegations were false. The civil lawsuit is currently being reviewed by the court.
The school has not yet released a new comment regarding the compensation lawsuit.
