Lawsuit Alleges Barstow Unified Gave Coach Jose Tapia Unsupervised Access to a Student in Locked Campus Rooms
Written by Alex E. Cunny, Partner · Updated October 2026
Court
San Bernardino County Superior Court
Case no.
CIVVS2606387
Filed
August 31, 2026
Defendants
Barstow Unified School District; Jose Tapia
Status
Pending
A lawsuit filed on August 31, 2026 in San Bernardino County Superior Court by a client of Lanier Meyer McBride Blair LLP alleges that Barstow Unified School District failed to protect a student at Barstow High School from sexual abuse by coach Jose Tapia, who is named as a defendant. The complaint alleges the district gave the coach unsupervised, solitary access to the student in locked areas of the campus and ignored warning signs, including that another district coach allegedly walked in on the abuse and did not intervene or report it as required by California's child abuse reporting law (CANRA). The abuse is alleged to have occurred in the 2000s.
What the complaint alleges
(Complaint ¶ 25)
(Complaint ¶ 30)
(Complaint ¶ 37)
These are allegations in a pending lawsuit. They have not been proven, and no court has made any findings.
Abused at Barstow High School?
If you were a student at Barstow High School or another Barstow USD school and something happened to you, you are not alone, and it was not your fault. You can sue a California school district any time before your 40th birthday, without filing a government claim first, and you can file as Jane or John Doe.
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