St. Margaret’s School Sued by Student

A 17-year-old student has accused a private San Juan Capistrano high school of negligence for failing to take action against an English teacher suspected of sexually inappropriate behavior, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court.

The female student, referred to the seven-page document as “Jane Doe,” is seeking unspecified damages from St. Margaret’s Episcopal School because the teacher, Michael Clarence Hays, allegedly raped her when she was 16, according to court documents.

The suit alleges that the student had a two-year relationship with Hays, 36, that culminated in October 1995, when Hays drove her to his Westwood apartment and raped her after giving her champagne and marijuana.

A $50,000 felony arrest warrant was issued in February for Hays on suspicion of rape. Hays remains at large.

The suit claims that about a year before the alleged sexual assault, school officials let Hays off with “a warning” after he was caught in a dark room alone with another minor. Also, St. Margaret’s faculty allegedly complained to school officials that Hays did not “observe professionally boundaries with female students,” the suit said.

St. Margaret’s officials said that before the alleged rape, Hays did not demonstrate behavior that would have called for disciplinary action. School officials said employees are subjected to thorough background checks before being hired.

“If I had a crystal ball, I would have done it differently,” said school headmaster Mark Campaigne . “We just didn’t know.”

Campaigne believed the family is understandably lashing out.

The suit also names the Episcopal Church, Diocese of Los Angeles, which supervises the operation of the southern Orange County school.