Police: No criminal case against former SLO High coach accused of sexual harassing student
A former San Luis Obispo High School teacher and basketball coach accused in a lawsuit of sexually harassing a student is not being criminally investigated, local law enforcement agencies confirmed to The Tribune.
Jeff Brandow, 39, was fired from his position at the high school in August as a result of sexual harassment allegations from a student. He was placed on administrative leave in March, five months after the district learned of the allegations, Superintendent Eric Prater told The Tribune in July.
San Luis Obispo Police Department spokesperson Christine Wallace told The Tribune in an email that there is no active criminal investigation against Brandow at this time. San Luis Obispo County Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth told The Tribune in a phone call the agency also does not have an investigation or case pending against Brandow.
On Monday, the student filed a lawsuit against Brandow and the San Luis Coastal Unified School District alleging the district ignored a pattern of inappropriate behavior by Brandow that had been occurring since at least 2014. That behavior eventually led to the student being “targeted” and sexually harassed, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit outlines five instances in which Brandow showed inappropriate behavior before the student was harassed.
The student had Brandow for a history class during the 2021-22 academic year when she was a junior. According to the lawsuit, Brandow began “targeting” her and sexually harassing her verbally and over texts, in addition to giving her unwanted hugs, leg and back touches.
Once the school learned of the allegations, the lawsuit said, school administrators asked the student not to tell her parents about the harassment or their meeting with her.
“The reality was San Luis Obispo High School administration was more concerned about Brandow coaching the men’s basketball team to a league championship then they were about the (student’s) health and well-being,” the lawsuit said. The student “was forced to attend school in constant fear” as he was allowed to teach for the majority of her senior year.
The lawsuit alleges that student is a victim of grooming, manipulation, intimidation and unwanted physical touching.
The school district has approximately 30 days to file a formal response with the court. The next court date is scheduled for April 8.
This story was originally published November 17, 2023 at 9:00 AM.
