A lawsuit was filed on behalf of a boy who alleges the head wrestling coach at Torrance High School engaged him in inappropriate sexual conduct on campus during the 2013-14 school year.
The plaintiff, identified in the Los Angeles Superior Court complaint filed Monday as T.H., alleges assault and battery, negligent supervision and general negligence. The suit names as defendants the Torrance Unified School District and the coach, Thomas Snider, as well as unidentified “Doe” defendants who also may have taken part in the alleged abuses.
The boy’s interests are being represented in the case by his mother and legal guardian, who is identified only as N.H.
Snider pleaded not guilty in July to charges alleging he molested 26 boys. The lawsuit was not clear whether the plaintiff is one of Snider’s accusers in the criminal case.
Some of the abuses of the boy took place during after-school wrestling practice in the Torrance High wrestling facility, a storage closet and in the locker room, the suit alleges. The student was a freshman at the time, according to the lawsuit.
Previous media reports stated that the coach was removed from his job after the allegations surfaced.
Torrance Unified School District spokeswoman Tammy Khan could not be immediately reached today. However, she was quoted in previous media reports as saying Snider was on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the proceedings and that he had taught in the district since 1990.
