Sandy MaloneFremont, CA – A student who was raped by his female gym teacher at Washington High School in Fremont settled with the school district for $375,000.
The abuse between Corine “Cory” Audiat and her 16-year-old male student began in May of 2016 when the physical education teacher texted the student that she wanted to pull him into an equipment room and kiss him, the East Bay Times reported.
The next month, the abuse intensified.
Audiat had sex with the student on Jun 15, 2016, the Fremont Patch reported.
The investigation into the teacher’s predatory behavior started after authorities received a tip that she was involved with a male student on Nov. 24, 2016, the East Bay Times reported.
The teacher was arrested a day later, KPIX reported.
Audiat, 33, pleaded no contest to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and oral copulation of a person under 18 on Dec. 19, 2018, the Fremont Patch reported.
In exchange for her plea, prosecutors dropped four additional felony counts against her and a misdemeanor child molestation charge.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jon Rolefson sentenced Audiat to six months of home detention with electronic monitoring, KPIX reported.
Rolefson said that the former swim coach must register as a sex offender in California for the rest of her life and surrender her teaching credentials, which had already been suspended.
Audiat must also serve 150 hours of community service, turn in DNA samples to law enforcement, stay away from her victim for 10 years, and complete one year of sex offender counseling, according to KPIX.
Rolefson barred the former teacher from unsupervised contact with people under the age of 18 during probation.
Audiat may still be ordered to pay other fees, fines, and restitution, KPIX reported.
She had been teaching at Washington High School since 2012, and within the Fremont Unified School District since 2008, the East Bay Times reported.
Audiat also coached the swim team at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont and the Glenmoor Stingrays, an East Bay Swim League team.
The attorney for the student said they agreed to the settlement because they knew the case was going to be very messy and public.
Mark Boskovich said the victim endured reporters showing up at his high school after news broke about Audiat in the fall of his senior year, the East Bay Times reported.
The lawsuit alleged that the boy suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the relationship with the teacher, and had trouble sleeping and concentrating on school work.
The suit claimed that the school district and other employees at the high school should have seen the red flags raised by Audiat’s behavior sooner, the East Bay Times reported.
Boskovich said the victim, now an adult, and his family hope the settlement sent a message to other school districts.
“We knew this settlement wasn’t going to be confidential, and that it would send a message to other districts: You have to take proactive measures, or you’re going to be held accountable,” Boskovich said.
Audiat was initially named in the civil lawsuit, too, but was removed when she and the boy’s attorney agreed to a separate settlement under which the former teacher agreed to testify against the school district if necessary, the East Bay Times reported.
Under the terms of that settlement, she had to admit to her crime, pay $4,000 in restitution directly to the victim, and turn over her cell phone with had evidence related to the case on it, Boskovich said.