A former California athletic trainer whose father was a legendary high school football coach is accused of sexually abusing teenagers.
A group of ex-Colton High School football stars have formally claimed alleged sexual abuse by high school trainer Tiffany Strauss-Gordon. She has been accused of sexually abusing several football players between 2002 and 2006, when she was the trainer for the team.
The Los Angeles Times reports that school officials in Grand Terrace confirmed Strauss-Gordon was on a leave of absence.
“This was an open secret. The high school students at Colton and their staff had a name for her sexual abuse of these children,” said attorney Mike Reck with Jeff Anderson and Associates.
Reck and Jemma Dunn with Greenberg Gross are representing the former players who have filed a lawsuit against Strauss-Gordon and Colton Joint Unified School District.
In the lawsuit it claims: “Gordon’s sexual assaults occurred throughout Colton High School’s campus, including in the locker room, training room, bathrooms, weight room, and football trailer.”
Strauss-Gordon is the daughter of late gridiron coach Harold Strauss, who had a legendary career leading the Yellowjackets. The daughter was a trainer while her father coached the team.
One particular incident claims one time when Strauss-Gordon and a player were inside a locker room, Coach Strauss entered and interrupted an alleged sexual assault, the lawsuit reportedly said.
“When Coach Strauss made his way through the locker room, he confronted the two and asked why the lights were off. Gordon made excuses claiming they were closing up and leaving.”
The lawsuit reportedly claims she had sexual intercourse with and gave oral sex to the teen boys. Strauss-Gordon’s alleged inappropriate behavior connected to the legal action took place from 2001 to 2007 with players whose ages ranged from 14 to 17, the East Bay Times reported.
Additionally, Strauss-Gordon sexually pleasured coaches, the suit alleges. There was a photo from 2005, which spread among players, even showed her giving oral sex to a coach, the East Bay Times reported, citing the lawsuit.
Harold Strauss died in 2019 after 30 years of coaching at several different programs.
Strauss-Gordon’s attorney disputes the claims, questioning why the alleged victims are only now stepping forward more than 20 years later, adding his client has not been criminally charged.
“So far, no criminal charges have been filed and hopefully that means that the prosecutors do not think they have sufficient evidence to convict her of a crime,” said Gordon’s attorney, Paul Wallin.
