Michael Guzman was arrested and facing four counts of lewd acts with a child. The counts relate to accusations regarding incidents that took place two decades ago. Those accusations had been revived, according to court documents and interviews with two of the alleged victims, leading to the recent legal action.
A Brief Background of Michael Guzman
Michael Guzman was a popular teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in El Sereno around the turn of the century.
He taught history and coached the girls’ basketball team.
Two decades later, as he worked at different schools in different districts, Guzman is now an assistant principal at Gabrielino High in San Gabriel.
Allegations From Two Decades Ago
Although decades have passed, the victims, Maria Barajas and Clarissa Vizcaino, who reported to the Los Angeles Police Department decades after the purported abuse, said that memories of their treatment at the hands of Guzman stayed with them, traumatized them and, in some cases, disrupted their adult relationships.
Barajas and Vizcaino allege that Guzman started having sexually inappropriate interactions with them when they were between 14 and 15 years old in a lawsuit the duo filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2022.
According to the lawsuit, Guzman began abusing Barajas in his early 30s and later abused Vizcaino in his mid-30s.
Statements From the Victims
Two of the alleged victims have publicly addressed the incidents, recounting the emotional toll of the events from their youth.
“I just kind of stored it all up in this box and just put it away for a long time,” said Barajas, 42.
Barajas and Vizcaino said they were not close friends at Woodrow Wilson. They were of different ages. Barajas was a senior on the varsity team, which Guzman coached, and Vizcaino was a freshman on the junior varsity team, also coached by Guzman.
They shared in common that they both played basketball and were allegedly Guzman’s favorites. Barajas and Vizcaino allege that Guzman first began grooming them when they were in high school, Barajas in 1995 and Vizcaino in 1998, and that he eventually moved on from his relationship with Barajas to one with Vizcaino.
Guzman invited her close in his office, pressed his cheek to hers, and complimented her scent, even before reports of their sexual relationship emerged.
They said they wanted justice and hoped the case would help prevent such things from happening. Their statements have highlighted the long-term impact of such accusations on victims.
Guzman’s Reaction
Guzman, 57, denies in court papers having any sexual relationship with Barajas or Clarissa Vizcaino, 38, as minors. Neither Guzman nor his lawyer in the civil case immediately replied to a request for comment.
Legal Proceedings and Investigation
Vizcaino and Barajas did not go to the police until May, seven months after filing the lawsuit.
When the police learned that Vizcaino could still reach Guzman, they set up a call. Vizcaino said they were hoping the former coach would acknowledge the conduct he was accused of. They phoned Guzman from the precinct and put him on speakerphone.
She said she posed pointed questions such as “Why did you have sex with me at school when I was 15?”
Vizcaino said she told him she was pissed. She questioned him about particular incidents.
Although Guzman repeatedly apologized during the call, Vizcaino said that wasn’t sufficient for the detective to make an immediate arrest.
“I took it as a clear confession. But the detective was seeking more information,” she said.
Almost six months later, Guzman was finally arrested on Nov. 13. He was released on bond three days later.
