In a YouTube video that has racked up nearly 1 million views, a 28-year-old woman calls a former teacher to confront her about abuse she says happened years ago while she was a middle school student in California.
The former teacher, who went on to become an assistant principal in another school district, doesn't appear to realize the call is being taped. She acknowledges the abuse during the call, and she resigned from her job at Alhambra High School after the video was posted online, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Jamie, the woman who posted the video, said she has been "waiting years to get up enough courage to report a teacher for sexually abusing me." CBS reports that the teacher was Jamie's basketball coach at Chemawa Middle School in Riverside, Calif. The abuse allegedly lasted years.
In the video, Jamie asks her alleged abuser what would happen if a student came to her and said he or she was having a sexual relationship with a teacher.
"I would involve law enforcement," the former teacher said.
Jamie asks: "So how is that any different from what you did?"
The former teacher replied: "It's not."
Jamie says: "Do you know that I am completely messed up? That I have so many issues because of you?"
The former teacher says she regrets the abuse and that she was only trying to "help" Jamie.
Jamie told the former teacher that she should be ashamed and disgusted with herself, and the woman replied, "I am, I am."
She said she didn't come forward sooner because she found out that the statute of limitations had passed. Jamie says she's 28 years old, and California law stipulates that if a person is under the age of 18 when the abuse occurs, they must report it before their 28th birthday.
The local police department has opened an investigation into Jamie's allegations, but the case might be hard to prosecute in court. As CBS points out, the video might not be admissible in court because the former teacher didn't appear to consent to the phone conversation being recorded, which is required under California law.
Police said the statute of limitations won't be a factor until the investigation is complete and the district attorney decides whether to press charges, according to The Press-Enterprise.
Since the video went viral, another woman has come forward to say that she was abused by the same teacher.
The school district where the teacher most recently worked released this statement:
Alhambra high school administration received an electronic message with a YouTube link incriminating an Alhambra high school administrator. Alhambra high school administration contacted the Alhambra Police Department immediately upon discovering the link. She is no longer an employee of Alhambra High School or the Alhambra Unified School District.