Child Sex Abuse Trial Against Lodi Unified School District Set to Begin on Monday, February 4, 2013, in San Joaquin Superior Court

STOCKTON, Calif., Feb. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys representing Diana C., a 10-year-old special needs child who was molested at age 8 by a school bus driver employed by the Lodi Unified School District (LUSD), will be trying the case before a jury in the San Joaquin Superior Court on Monday, February 4, 2013.

The suit alleges that Dale Evans, a driver employed by LUSD to transport the victim to her special needs classroom, sexually assaulted and molested her.

Evans' assault on the victim was captured by a video camera on board the school bus.  He was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for his crimes.

Evans had been previously convicted of soliciting a prostitute while driving a potato chip delivery truck in 2000, engaging in sexual acts with her in the truck for $10.00 and a bag of potato chips. The lawsuit alleges that LUSD failed to adequately investigate Evans' background prior to hiring him as a bus driver.

"Evans engaged in an illegal sexual act in a company vehicle," said victim's attorney Vince Finaldi.  "With his background, the district should have known that he might engage in illicit sexual activity in a company vehicle again—he should have never been hired to transport and supervise vulnerable children."

The lawsuit further alleges that LUSD has a policy of not watching the video footage recorded by cameras on its school buses and allegedly had refused to review the footage upon a direct request from the victim's parents.

LUSD initially went to court and attempted to prevent this case from going to trial arguing that the result could force school districts throughout the state to conduct more stringent background checks of prospective employees.

About John Manly and Manly & Stewart: The founding partner at Manly & Stewart in Irvine, California, John Manly was named one of California's "Top 100 Attorneys" by the Los Angeles Daily Journal and is California's preeminent attorney representing victims of sexual abuse. Over the past decade, John and his legal team have been heavily involved in the most significant sexual abuse actions litigated across the nation, assisting in the recovery of more than a billion dollars—through trial and settlement—on behalf sexual abuse victims.

For more information about the firm, please visit www.manlystewart.com

SOURCE Manly & Stewart