A civil lawsuit filed in Sacramento County Superior Court accuses a Sacramento City Unified School District teacher of subjecting a classroom aide to a year-long pattern of sexual harassment, according to the complaint. The filing names teacher Willie Anderson and alleges repeated unwanted comments, touching, and threats after the aide reported the behavior, raising fresh questions about how the district handles employee complaints.
What The Lawsuit Says
The complaint describes conduct it says began in February 2025 and escalated over several months. According to the filing, Anderson repeatedly called the aide “beautiful,” pressured her to accept perfume, made unwanted physical contact and attempted to hug her. It also alleges he asked the aide to remove her headscarf and told her, “I would love to touch you, please make me happy,” as part of a broader pattern of harassment, as reported by The Sacramento Bee. The suit identifies the aide as Sakina Wafai and states that she filed a formal complaint with the district.
District Response And Leadership Change
The Sacramento City Unified Board of Education issued a press release announcing that Superintendent Lisa Allen resigned effective immediately on Feb. 5, 2026, as the board begins a leadership transition in the wake of recent controversies, according to the district's statement. The release did not mention the pending lawsuit but said the board is focused on ensuring stable leadership while it addresses district priorities, in a press release via SCUSD. District officials have previously said they follow established policies when staff concerns are raised.
Aide's Account And Alleged Retaliation
The lawsuit states that Wafai was transferred after filing her complaint and that coworkers at her new site treated her with hostility. According to the complaint, she resigned from the district in October 2025. It further alleges that she suffered a panic attack and sought emergency medical care because of the stress, and that district administrators told her no action would be taken against Anderson after her complaint, according to The Sacramento Bee. The suit names Willie Anderson as the defendant and says he remains employed by the district, a point the complaint contests in light of the allegations.
Credentials And Legal Process
According to the state's credentialing resources, Anderson holds active California teaching credentials, which means the Commission on Teacher Credentialing could be notified if the district or others file a professional-fitness complaint. The Commission maintains a public educator search and a records page on discipline that explain how misconduct reports and credential reviews are handled, per the state's site at CTC. Because this is a civil complaint filed in Superior Court, the case will move through filings and discovery unless the parties reach a settlement.
What's Next
The lawsuit is pending in Sacramento Superior Court and could trigger internal district reviews and, depending on the outcome, possible credentialing inquiries. The district has faced other legal challenges over staff misconduct in recent years, which observers say has increased scrutiny of how SCUSD handles personnel complaints, including an earlier lawsuit involving a substitute teacher reported by KCRA. Any public developments will depend on future court filings and official actions by the district or state agencies.
