"While you saw him as the beacon of guidance and faith, I knew him as the predator who stole my innocence, impregnated me as a teenager, and left scars that run deeper than time," writes Reiko Wright of her former teacher Steve Graves.
A teacher in California allegedly fathered a child with an underage student.
Anaheim Police Department (APD) detectives spoke with two former students who said they had “intimate relations” with 61-year-old Steve Graves. Both women told police that their “intimate relationships” with Graves happened when they were students in the late-1980s, according to the APD.
Graves' current employer, the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), said that he had been placed Graves on leave last month and that they are conducting an internal investigation.
The first woman spoke with police on Aug. 26, saying that she was an underage student at Loara High School (LHS) when she met Graves, according to the APD. LHS is located just two blocks away from one of the state's biggest attractions, Disneyland, and boasts famous alumni including singers Gwen Stefani and Jeff Buckley.
That information prompted an investigation by sexual assault detectives and the discovery of another woman who alleged she had a "relationship" with Graves when she was a minor attending LHS and that she gave birth to Graves’ child, according to the APD.
That woman is now speaking out on her social media account.
"While you saw him as the beacon of guidance and faith, I knew him as the predator who stole my innocence, impregnated me as a teenager, and left scars that run deeper than time," writes Reiko Wright.
She also writes that Graves used "[h]is charm, his charisma, his 'nice guy vibe'" as "weapons" so that he could "weave himself into the fabric of my life."
Wright says that after becoming pregnant at the age of 17 she was forced to transfer high schools as a "scared, unwed, pregnant teen who was cut off from her community of friends and support."
She is now encouraging other victims to come forward, writing: "The relief I fell at not having to carry SG's shame or his secret any farther, or those adults who saw, knew, and did nothing (BS) is a little dizzying."
The school district placed Graves on leave Aug. 29 and detectives say they have spoken with the educator.
The AUHSD also released a statement.
"AUHSD has been fully cooperating with the Anaheim Police Department as they investigate this incident to identify any other possible instances of inappropriate behavior, harassment, or sexual misconduct by Graves. To protect the integrity and confidentiality of the ongoing police investigation the District waited to communicate with parents and staff at his current school, Lexington JHS. District leadership met with Lexington staff on [Sept. 9], sent a communication to Lexington families on [Sept. 11], and sent this release on [Sept. 13] following an APD public statement on [Sept. 12], indicating that they had opened an active investigation into these allegations."
The district also said that "paternity tests concluded that Graves had fathered a child with one of the students."
Police continue to investigate and are asking that anyone who has information about these alleged incidents or who believes they were victimized by Graves to contact a detective.
The APD also said that they were working closely with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDAO) to determine what charges they might be able to file in this case, but the OCDAO now says that due to the statute of imitations they will not be able to file any charges for these alleged crimes.
The two victims are being represented by attorney Cristina Nolan of Manly, Stewart, Finalidi, the same firm that represented a majority Larry Nassar's young victims.
Graves has not been charged with any crime related to these allegations at this time, and he remains on administrative leave. He did not respond to a request for comment.
