Branson School faces another sexual abuse lawsuit

Marin Independent Journal - 6/8/2021

Jun. 7—A former student at Branson School in Ross has filed a lawsuit alleging it failed to protect her from sexual abuse by an assistant basketball coach.

The suit is the second such action against the private academy in two months.

The plaintiff in the latest lawsuit, who is not identified in the filing, was a student at Branson from 1987 to 1991. She was one of several women who reported sexual abuse after the school hired a law firm to conduct an internal investigation in 2018.

The school released the investigative report in April. It said three former athletic coaches and a former college counselor were accused of sexual misconduct involving students from the late 1970s to the early 2010s.

According to the report, the misconduct ranged from inappropriate touching, kissing and hand-holding to oral sex and rape with students ages 15 through 18. The alleged offenders "groomed" or otherwise befriended the girls while coaching them in sports or advising them in college test preparation, the report said.

Daphne Greene, another Branson graduate whose experiences were included in the report, filed a negligence lawsuit against the school in April.

The plaintiff in the new suit alleges her predator was Rich Manoogian, who was the boys' assistant varsity basketball coach.

According to the suit, "What began with unwelcome and forcible kissing in the school parking lot, and groping on school grounds, ultimately led to numerous instances of digital penetration and oral copulation, all while Manoogian was serving in a position of leadership at the school."

Manoogian was one of the former coaches identified in the Covington report. The suit says the school ended Manoogian's position after the plaintiff reported her allegations to Ross police during her first year of college.

The suit alleges that the plaintiff relayed her allegations to Branson's varsity basketball coach, Jonas Honick, and he took no action.

"When plaintiff told Honick on multiple occasions that she wanted to report Manoogian to other administrators, Honick repeatedly asked her not to, expressed concern for his own job, and/or tried to blame her for the situation, suggesting that she was only upset because the 'relationship' had not evolved more satisfactorily," the lawsuit says.

Neither Manoogian nor Honick could be reached for comment. They are not named in the latest suit.

Honick told the San Francisco Chronicle he was not informed of the plaintiff's allegations while she was a student. The newspaper identified the plaintiff as Erica Goldman, 47, a pediatrician who lives in San Mateo County with her husband and three children.

Jennifer Owen-Blackmon, a Branson spokesperson, said Honick has announced his retirement effective immediately.

In an open letter on June 2, Christina Mazzola, Branson's head of school, wrote, "It is our policy not to publicly discuss the specifics of matters that are in litigation as we respect the legal process as well as the privacy of the former student who has filed this case."

"We have great sensitivity and compassion for this alumna, and we apologize to her — and to all survivors — for the pain they endured as a result of adult sexual misconduct at Branson," Mazzola wrote.

Mazzola issued a second letter on Thursday saying the school had only recently learned that Manoogian had returned as a volunteer assistant coach for boys' basketball in the late 1990s. Mazzola said this information was not included in the Covington report.

"We felt it was important to correct the record immediately," Mazzola wrote.

Goldman's suit, which includes claims of negligent infliction of emotional distress and breach of fiduciary duty, seeks punitive damages and triple damages under section 340.1(b) of the California Code of Civil Procedure.

The section allows for a higher level of damages if it is proved that an employer, institution or other responsible party knew about sexual abuse but failed to take action. The suit does not seek a specific dollar amount.

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