Parents raise concerns over teacher accused of sex assault
Palo Alto parents raise concerns over teacher with 'checkered past'
Peter Colombo, who has been a physical education teacher and coach for 27 years has denied the accusations, and the charges were dropped by the Santa Clara County District Attorney. Parents at the school said there?s still fear and panic over the allegations because the school district failed to explain its hiring process.
PALO ALTO, Calif. - Parents at Fletcher Middle School in Santa Clara County are demanding answers after the Palo Alto Unified School District reinstated a teacher accused of sex assault more than 20 years ago.
Peter Colombo, who has been a physical education teacher and coach for 27 years has denied the accusations, and the charges were dropped by the Santa Clara County District Attorney.
Parents at the school said there’s still fear and panic over the allegations because the school district failed to explain its decision-making process.
Teacher's ‘checkered past’ causes concern
"There’s a lot of questions and there hasn’t been a lot of answers," said Clark Barrett, a father who is leading the charge of parents demanding answers from the school district.
"I think there’s a lot of anxiety wondering if they will have Mr. Colombo as their PE teacher, said Richard Lee, whose daughter is in 7th grade at Fletcher Middle.
School district officials said Colombo was transferred to Fletcher Middle school this school year after administrators selected him for the job in March "following our Collective Bargaining Agreement procedures."
He previously taught at Greene Middle School.
"My daughter came home and said, ‘Hey there’s this guy that’s been accused of sexual assault and he’s going to be teaching at our school next year,’ and my first thought was, ‘That can’t possibly be true,’" said Barrett.
The backstory:
Back in 2022, Palo Alto Police arrested Colombo for reportedly sexually assaulting a 6th grader more 20 years ago.
The mugshot from his initial arrest is still all over the internet, despite his charges being dropped for insufficient evidence.
He was placed on administrative leave, but court documents said he was brought back on in a non-teaching position in July 2024, until now.
"No one at any level stood up and said we made this decision, and we feel good about it, your kids are safe," said Lee.
Over the summer, parents put together petitions to have Colombo removed. When he wasn’t, they protested on the first day of school this week.
"We also had parents sign a pledge saying that if he was still here on the first day of school, that their kids would skip PE," said Barrett.
Barrett added that the kids who walked out of class were threatened with detention.
"Telling a kid who doesn’t feel safe in their class that they’re going to face detention as a consequence is just another example of the district not putting the kids first," he said.
Colombo suing district for stigmatizing him
The other side:
Colombo is suing the school district for violating his due process rights and withholding information that would clear him of wrongdoing.
His attorney, Evan Nelson, said he is completely innocent – not just because he wasn’t proven guilty, but also because the case was never prosecuted.
"There is evidence that is in their possession that exonerates Mr. Colombo, and for whatever reason, it was never given to law enforcement. It was never properly presented to any of the investigators," he said.
The complaint reads that the school district did its own investigation after the legal charges were dropped, stating, "The Investigator determined that the allegation was not substantiated due to a lack of evidence, including but not limited to, the absence of a direct statement from the alleged victim to support the claim."
Nelson said while he understands parents concerns, he thinks it’s up to the school district to quell their fears.
"The district now refuses to come out and set the record straight," he said.
Parents said it’s not just the sex assault allegations that concern them.
He was charged with a DUI more than a decade ago, and state records show his teaching license was suspended temporarily in 2010.
"He is not a person that should be in a child facing position," said the mother of a 7th grade girl, Karen Ceresnak.
His attorney said Colombo is now sober, and that he’s a dedicated educator. He also said the history from more than a decade ago is not relevant and does not prevent him from being qualified to teach.
Superintendent declines to speak with media
District Superintendent Don Austin declined to comment, but the school district’s public information officer Lynette White said Principal Melissa Howell met with a handful of families about their concerns, and reassures the school year is "off to a great start."
White said due to pending litigation, she cannot comment further.
"I’m not looking to blame him for something he didn’t do, I’m looking for transparency and accountability from the district," said Barrett.
Nelson said the false accusations have affected his mental health.
"He’s dealing with all this stuff that's been forced on him for the last three and a half years and he's still able to rise above that and be that meaningful, impactful teacher and coach that he's always been," he said.
What's next:
A trial date for Colombo’s lawsuit is set for January 2026 in federal court.
Colombo’s attorney is hoping the suit exonerates him.
KTVU reached out to individual members of the Palo Alto Unified School Board and did not receive a response from any of them.
The Source: Interviews, court documents, Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, Palo Alto Police Department, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing