Ex-Ventura High Coach Sued by Girl’s Parents in Sex Case

A longtime Ventura High School football coach who went to prison earlier this year for having sex with a 15-year-old student was sued Thursday in Ventura County Superior Court by the girl’s parents.

Also named in the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified general and punitive damages, are the Ventura Unified School District, two former school officials and Ventura County.

Harvey Wayne Kochel, 49, was sentenced to two years in state prison Jan. 19 after pleading guilty to six felony counts of unlawful sex. But the suit alleges that he sexually abused his female students for more than 15 years.

Kochel, who could have faced up to six years in state prison, initially pleaded not guilty to a dozen felony charges.

But in November, Kochel entered the surprise guilty pleas without an explanation. He admitted engaging in a seven-month affair with a girl in his health class after her parents found more than 50 sexually explicit letters he had sent her.

The girl, now 17, was a Ventura High student from 1990 until the incidents became public in September, 1992.

Beginning in January, 1992, Kochel began making sexual advances to the girl, the suit alleges. Within a month, Kochel began taking the girl to his home for sexual encounters, according to the suit.

The girl’s parents “began to observe a noticeable change” in their daughter’s behavior by March, 1992, but were unable to find a reason for it until they searched the girl’s room Sept. 27 and found the letters, the suit said.

On Sept. 28, Kochel was suspended from his teaching position without pay and arrested two days later.

The suit contends that Kochel pulled the girl out of class, allowed her to sit on his lap during some classes, and put his arm around her while walking across campus.

Former Ventura High School Principal Robert Cousar and Personnel Director Charles Brown “had been aware of other incidents involving Kochel’s sexual harassment, sexual molestation and solicitation of other female students . . . as early as 1977,” the suit alleges.

Cousar, who retired in 1990, declined to comment on the lawsuit Thursday.

But school trustees said they were not surprised by the lawsuit. In March, the school board rejected a legal claim by the family that the school failed to prevent the alleged child abuse.

“We knew this was coming,” Trustee Diane Harriman said. “As a school board member it has simply been placed in the hands of our attorneys.”

Trustee John Walker said he is troubled by the entire incident. “The best thing I can say is I’m saddened by the whole situation,” Walker said. “It’s a very unfortunate incident that took place.”

Kochel, whose varsity football teams won or shared six league championships, was named head football coach at Ventura High School before the 1981 season, when the team finished 0-10.

At the time of his suspension 11 years later, the Cougars were unbeaten and ranked first in The Times poll of area prep sports teams but lost two of their next five games.