Castilleja School in Palo Alto has agreed to pay three former students $2.25 million who accused the school of ignoring complaints about a tutor who allegedly molested them.
The complaints were about Mark Hodes, a math tutor, who has been accused of sexually assaulting plaintiffs as far back as 2002.
Numerous allegations
A lawsuit accused the expensive all-girls school of dismissing numerous complaints brought by students against Hodes and concealing his behavior from authorities and the school community. Castilleja recommended Hodes to students as a tutor and allowed him to use school facilities for his tutoring sessions up until his arrest in 2020.
“This settlement is a clear acknowledgment of a failure that began decades ago,” Lauren Cerri, an attorney for the former students, said in a statement. “We hope it moves Castilleja to finally address the harm caused to every survivor.”
Castilleja has denied it was liable for the alleged assaults.
While three former students brought the lawsuit against Castilleja, more than a dozen other women have come forward alleging they were also victims of Hodes. The criminal case against Hodes is ongoing.
According to the complaint against Castilleja, the three women were allegedly molested by Hodes on a weekly basis for several years while they were students. Hodes conducted tutoring sessions on campus and at his home.
Hodes’ behavior was well-known around campus, with some students giving him nicknames such as “Horny Hodes” and “Molesting Mark,” according to the complaint.
At one point, a Castilleja employee notified the administration of the accu-sations. Instead of taking appropriate action and reporting Hodes to law enforcement, Castilleja allegedly tried to resolve the concerns by moving his tutoring sessions into a more public area.
“The trauma these women carry was entirely preventable had the school prioritized student safety over its institutional reputation,” said Mary Alexander, an attorney for the women.
Castilleja, which offers classes in grades six through 12, is a top rated school. It charges $65,300 tuition for the highest grade level, though many girls get scholarships.
Criminal case
Hodes is facing 55 charges related to sexual abuse with minors. In 2022, a judge ruled in a preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence to move forward with a trial.
A hearing to set a trial date began last month and will be continued to April 21, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.