MOORPARK : Woman Sues College Over Sexual Assault

A woman who accused a former Moorpark College Spanish instructor of sexually assaulting her has filed a lawsuit against the college and the Ventura County Community College District.

The suit, filed Monday in Ventura County Superior Court, charges the college and the district with negligence in hiring and keeping Alejandro (Alex) Paredes on staff despite their knowledge of “his propensity for sexually molesting young female students.”

The suit, which also names Paredes as a defendant, asks for general damages, payment for medical expenses and legal fees.

Paredes, of Simi Valley, was convicted in February of two counts of sexual battery in the May, 1991, incident in his office. He was sentenced to 240 days in jail.

Jerry Pauley, the district’s associate vice chancellor for personnel, denied any negligence by the college.

“When somebody notified us that something was going on, we took action,” Pauley said. “We didn’t wait around.”

Paredes, a tenured instructor for two years, was fired two weeks after the assault.

The district had issued a reprimand to Paredes after another student filed a complaint saying that he had sexually harassed her, Pauley said.

The district rejected a claim filed in November by the woman and turned the case over to its attorneys, Pauley said.

Douglas Demaret, the Simi Valley attorney representing Paredes, said the lawsuit came as no surprise.