A wrestling coach is supposed to build discipline, resilience, and confidence. The coach-athlete relationship depends on trust, and that trust runs deep, especially for young athletes who spend hours each week in close physical proximity with their coach.
In May 2026, that trust was shattered in Hesperia. According to a report by CBS Los Angeles, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Hesperia High School wrestling coach Gene Richard Griffith III on charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child. Authorities believe there may be additional victims, and the investigation is ongoing.
En Easton & Easton, we represent survivors of sexual abuse in youth sports settings across Southern California. Cases like this one are not isolated events. They reflect a pattern of institutional failure that civil law exists to address.
Key Takeaways
- Hesperia High School wrestling coach Gene Richard Griffith III was arrested on May 7, 2026, on charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child.
- San Bernardino County Sheriff’s investigators believe additional victims may exist and have released Griffith’s booking photo to encourage them to come forward.
- Lewd and lascivious acts with a child under California Penal Code Section 288 is a serious felony carrying potential state prison time and lifetime sex offender registration.
- Civil claims can be filed against both the individual coach and the school district if the institution failed to detect, prevent, or respond to warning signs of abuse.
- California’s AB 218 removed the civil statute of limitations for many childhood sexual abuse claims, giving survivors a meaningful path to accountability even years after the abuse.
What Happened: Hesperia Wrestling Coach Arrested on Child Abuse Charges
On May 7, 2026, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s detectives arrested Gene Richard Griffith III, a wrestling coach at Hesperia High School, on charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child. The investigation began the previous day, May 6, after deputies received a report of the alleged offense.
Griffith was booked into the High Desert Detention Center in San Bernardino County. The Departamento del Sheriff del condado de San Bernardino released Griffith’s booking photo and indicated that investigators believe there may be more victims who have not yet come forward.
Anyone with information or additional victims is asked to contact Detective Victoria Twardowski at (909) 890-4904. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling or texting “REPORT” to We-Tip at 844-909-3006, or through the department’s online reporting portal.
Understanding the Charges: Lewd and Lascivious Acts With a Child Under California Law
Griffith faces charges under California Penal Code Section 288, which prohibits lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 with the intent to arouse or gratify sexual desire. The offense is a felony. Depending on the age of the child and the nature of the acts, a conviction can carry a state prison sentence of three to eight years, mandatory lifetime registration as a sex offender, and other serious consequences.
Where the victim is 14 or 15 and the defendant is at least ten years older, the statute also applies, though penalties differ by subsection. Given Griffith’s position as a high school coach, the prosecution may also evaluate whether additional charges under California Penal Code Section 261.5 (unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor) or Section 288.3 (contacting a minor with intent to commit a sex offense) are warranted as the investigation develops.
Why Youth Sports Are a High-Risk Environment for Sexual Abuse
Wrestling, like many contact sports, places student-athletes in a physically intimate environment with a coach who holds significant power over their athletic future. That power structure, combined with the physical nature of the sport and the culture of obedience that coaching relationships can create, makes it a setting where abuse can go undetected for extended periods.
La Darkness to Light organization estimates that one in nine girls and one in 53 boys in the United States experiences sexual abuse at the hands of an adult before the age of 18. In youth sports specifically, the combination of physical contact, private coaching sessions, travel, and locker room access creates conditions that predatory adults can exploit.
Coaches typically spend more one-on-one time with athletes than almost any other adult outside the home. They have access to students in physical settings, during travel, and sometimes even during recovery from injury. When a student admires a coach, fears losing playing time, or worries about disappointing their team, reporting abuse becomes even harder.
La SafeSport program, administered by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, was created in response to the epidemic of abuse in athletic settings nationally. California has its own reporting obligations, but enforcement varies widely by school district and athletic program.
When Can a School District Be Held Accountable for a Coach’s Abuse?
The arrest of Griffith raises an important question that is separate from criminal prosecution: did Hesperia Unified School District know, or should it have known, that Griffith posed a risk to students?
Under California law, school districts have a duty to supervise employees who work with minors and to respond to warning signs of misconduct. When a district fails in that duty, it can be named as a defendant in a civil claim alongside the individual abuser. The legal theory is called negligent supervision or negligent hiring.
What does negligent supervision mean in a school abuse case?
A school district can be held liable for negligent supervision when it failed to:
- Conduct adequate background checks before hiring the employee
- Investigate prior complaints or reports of boundary violations
- Respond appropriately when administrators, other teachers, or students raised concerns
- Implement or enforce policies designed to prevent one-on-one contact between coaches and students
- Report known or suspected abuse to law enforcement as required under California’s mandatory reporting laws
California Penal Code Section 11165.7 designates school employees, including coaches, as mandated reporters. When school administrators knew or had reason to suspect abuse and failed to report it to a child protective agency or law enforcement, the institution can face significant legal exposure in a civil claim.
The Inland Empire and Patterns of Institutional Failure in Youth Athletics
The Hesperia case is not the first time youth athletic programs in the Inland Empire have faced scrutiny for sexual misconduct by coaches or staff. Across California, recurring cases in youth sports reveal a pattern that goes beyond individual bad actors: institutions that lack robust screening, fail to follow up on complaints, or allow unsupervised one-on-one contact to become normalized.
The Hesperia Unified School District, which serves parts of San Bernardino County’s High Desert region, operates athletic programs across multiple schools. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) sets guidelines for member schools on athlete welfare and coach conduct, but compliance and enforcement at the school and district level varies considerably. When gaps in oversight exist, predatory individuals can exploit them for years before a single student’s courage to come forward breaks the pattern.
Investigators releasing Griffith’s photo and explicitly stating they believe additional victims may exist is a significant signal. In cases where abuse has occurred over time, the first reported victim is frequently not the only one. Civil litigation can serve a secondary function in these cases: the discovery process allows survivors’ attorneys to access internal school records, personnel files, and complaint histories that can shed light on whether the institution had prior warning.
Steps Survivors of Coach Abuse Can Take
Coming forward is hard. It’s worth knowing what options exist before deciding whether to act.
Contact law enforcement
If you were abused by Griffith or have information about additional victims, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is actively seeking contact. Reach Detective Victoria Twardowski at (909) 890-4904. Anonymous tips can be submitted via We-Tip at 844-909-3006 or by texting “REPORT” to the same number. This is the most direct path to contributing to the criminal investigation.
Seek trauma-informed support
La RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) and offers confidential support and referrals to local services. SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) also supports survivors of institutional abuse more broadly and can help connect survivors with resources in the Inland Empire region.
Understand your civil legal options
A civil claim is separate from the criminal case and can move forward regardless of whether criminal charges result in conviction. California’s AB 218 eliminated the civil statute of limitations for many childhood sexual abuse cases, and a civil attorney can assess your specific situation quickly and confidentially. The first consultation is typically free and carries no obligation.
Document what you remember
Write down dates, locations, interactions, and the names of anyone who may have witnessed concerning behavior. Detail fades with time. Even informal notes preserved now can support a future claim or investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “lewd and lascivious acts with a child” under California law?
Under California Penal Code Section 288, lewd and lascivious acts with a child means any willful touching of a child under 14 done with the intent to arouse or gratify sexual desire. It’s a felony, and conviction carries potential prison time and mandatory sex offender registration. The statute can also apply to victims aged 14 or 15 in certain circumstances.
Can a school be sued even if the district claims it didn’t know about the abuse?
Yes. Civil claims can be based on what the school knew or should have known. If the district ignored warning signs, failed to screen the coach properly, or didn’t enforce policies against unsupervised student-coach contact, it can be held liable. Discovery in civil litigation often uncovers internal records that show more institutional knowledge than the district initially acknowledges.
Does it matter that the abuse happened at school rather than off campus?
Location can affect liability arguments, but abuse that occurs off campus, during team travel, or through digital communication is still actionable. What matters most is whether the abuser used their position at the school to access the victim. Courts look at the totality of the relationship, not just where the acts occurred.
Is there a time limit for filing a civil claim in California for childhood sexual abuse?
California’s AB 218 removed the civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims that hadn’t already expired, allowing survivors to file even many years after the abuse occurred. This law applies broadly to institutional abuse cases. An attorney can confirm whether your specific situation falls within the law’s coverage.
What if my child is still on the wrestling team or at the same school?
Your child’s immediate safety comes first. You can request a transfer to a different class, team, or school, and you can ask the school administration directly what steps they’re taking in response to the arrest. A civil attorney can advise on whether protective legal steps are appropriate given your child’s current situation.
Easton & Easton’s Commitment to Survivors of Youth Sports Sexual Abuse
En Easton & Easton, we have seen what happens when institutions prioritize reputation over the safety of the children they serve. The Hesperia case is a reminder that abuse in youth athletics is not a rare aberration. It is a pattern that persists when schools and districts fail to hold coaches accountable.
We are deeply committed to representing survivors of sexual abuse in youth sports settings, including high school athletic programs, youth leagues, and coaching relationships across Southern California. Our work in these cases combines trauma-informed advocacy with a thorough investigation of the institutional failures that allowed the abuse to continue.
Abogado Saúl Wolf has extensive experience handling civil claims involving youth sports sexual abuse across a wide range of settings, including high school athletic programs, national governing bodies such as USA Water Polo and USA Cheer, and youth-serving organizations throughout Orange County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and across California.
We understand that legal accountability is one part of a longer journey. We work to connect clients with therapeutic professionals, victim-support services, and community resources that provide ongoing support throughout and beyond the civil process.
If you or someone you know may have been affected by abuse in a youth sports, school athletics, or coaching setting in Condado de San Bernardino or elsewhere in Southern California, we invite you to póngase en contacto con Easton & Easton for a confidential consultation. Our team is here to listen, answer your questions, and help you understand your options.
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