FOLSOM, Calif. — Four anonymous plaintiffs allege they were sexually abused as minors by a former Folsom Cordova Unified School District employee. They're now suing the district for negligence and failure to report suspected child abuse, according to a civil suit filed in Sacramento County Superior Court last month.
The plaintiffs are all females and new allegations publicly revealed in the lawsuit document multiple instances of sexual abuse committed by 78-year-old Steven Richard Kester from 1998 to 2021. The suit also claims the school district was aware of Kester’s behavior and failed to take appropriate action.
Kester was reportedly hired as a P.E. teacher by the district in 1976, retired in 2012 and began substitute teaching later that year. He was arrested in 2021 on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14.
“These survivors certainly hope to see Mr. Kester held accountable in criminal court and will cooperate in his prosecution however necessary,” said Michael Carney, an attorney for the plaintiffs. “Folsom Cordova Unified must also be held accountable for knowingly turning a blind eye to decades of serial child molestation by Mr. Kester. Our clients want to ensure the district never allows students to be preyed upon again.”
The FCUSD sent a statement to ABC10 about the lawsuit.
“The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority,” said Angela Griffin Ankhelyi, a district spokeswoman. “Since this is an active pending litigation matter, we are not at liberty to discuss the details. What I can share is that we work swiftly and collaboratively with our law enforcement partners on all matters of student safety.”
Jane Roe M.H.
Jane Roe M.H., 39, alleges she was sexually abused by Kester around 1998 at Cordova High School when she was approximately 14.
He often made it a point to touch her shoulders, arms and lower back anytime she was in his presence, the filing says. In one instance, he fondled the sides of her breasts while pretending to help her with course-required pull-ups, the suit alleges.
“Defendant Steven Kester was known throughout the entire student body as ‘Kester the Molester’ due to his pervasive and inappropriate touching of the female students,” the suit says. “Steven Kester would stand outside of the girl’s locker room every day without any purpose or reason, with a clear view of the girls as they changed.”
After several months of inappropriate touching, Roe M.H. says she went to school administration and asked to be placed into a different P.E. class.
Jane Roe A.H.
Jane Roe A.H., 39, alleges she was sexually abused by Kester from 1999-2003 at Cordova High School when she was 14-18 years old.
Kester constantly touched her inappropriately and the abuse was conducted in clear view of her classmates, the suit alleges. At one point, Roe A.H. claims she told a teacher about the abuse, but it continued after the report was made.
Kester reportedly gave her a card one Valentine’s Day in front of her entire class. She told the same teacher again about this behavior and a separate administrator, but no action was taken by the school to address her complaints, the suit says.
Jane Roe R.S.
Jane Roe R.S., 28, alleges she was sexually abused by Kester around 2008 or 2009 at Folsom Middle School when she was approximately 14 and 15.
While in P.E. class, she claims Kester would single her out and require her to demonstrate the day’s activity in front of the class. Kester would allegedly “spot” Roe R.S. and rub his hands all over her body in open view of her classmates, the suit alleges.
The complaint says this behavior was performed repeatedly over several months. The suit does not indicate if these incidents were reported to the school district.
Jane Roe L.S.
Jane Roe L.S., 11, alleges she was sexually abused by Kester from 2017-2021 at Cordova Meadows Elementary School from ages 5-9. Kester was reportedly her teacher from kindergarten to third grade.
Kester routinely took her to secluded locations on the playground, in the bathroom and the back of the classroom and fondled her, the suit alleges. He threatened her and said if she told anyone, he would take her away from her family, the filing claims.
In 2021, Kester allegedly took her into the bathroom for so long that law enforcement was called because she was believed to be missing. Kester pretended to find her when in reality he was holding her there the entire time, the suit alleges.
After this incident, Jane Roe L.S. said she told her family and authorities Kester was abusing her.
Kester was arrested June 3, 2021, on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, ABC10 previously reported.
Where is Kester now?
Kester is in custody at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center on Bruceville Road in Elk Grove.
He faces one felony charge of a lewd or lascivious act with a child under 14, jail records show. He is ineligible for bail.
On Friday, June 21, Kester reportedly failed to appear in court in accordance with his 2021 case, prompting his lawyer to call for a welfare check. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office then responded to a home along the 9200 block of Madison Avenue.
Kester allegedly came out of the home with a gun and a knife and started stabbing himself before going back inside.
He was eventually detained alive after a four-hour standoff with law enforcement and went back to jail after being medically cleared, authorities said. He was booked into custody again Sunday, June 23.
