A lawsuit from a purported sexual abuse victim says Fresno Unified did not do enough to protect the high school student from a Bullard High School photo teacher who allegedly had sex with her for months on school grounds.

In February, authorities arrested 37-year-old Ray Waller on dozens of charges of sexual abuse. The Fresno County District Attorney has 38 charges against Waller, including sex with a minor under 16 years old and child molestation.

Federal authorities have their own case against Waller, charging him with sexual exploitation of a minor, receipt of child sexual abuse images, and sending obscene material to a minor.

According to the victim’s lawsuit, Waller, who was a photography teacher at Bullard High, did not yet have his teaching credentials and didn’t receive a thorough background check.

Waller Had Proper Credential: Fresno Unified

A Fresno Unified spokesperson, however, said the plaintiff’s claims regarding Waller’s credential and background check are false.

Waller received a career technical education teacher credential from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing in August 2024 before he was hired, the spokesperson said. GV Wire was sent a copy of the credential.

In 2023, Waller underwent a Livescan by the Department of Justice and FBI and it came back clean, according to the Fresno Unified spokesperson. After receiving the arrest notification, the district put Waller on a leave of absence. His credential was suspended in July.

“The safety of our students is our top priority, and this process demonstrates procedures and safeguards are in place, as Waller received a clean background check, was not hired until obtaining his credential and was placed on leave upon notice of arrest,” the spokesperson said.

A call and email to the plaintiff’s attorney, Jason Bell of Paboojian, Inc., were not returned before publication of this story.

School Didn’t Investigate Suspicious Activity: Lawsuit

The lawsuit claims Waller was allowed to be in the classroom alone with the unnamed student, who was 14 years old at the time. The relationship allegedly went on for months, the lawsuit states.

“The school allowed (the student) and Waller to be alone in Waller’s classroom at the school with the door locked for up to hours per day, Monday through Friday,” the lawsuit states. “The school saw (the student) leave Waller’s classroom on a daily basis at around 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. yet school staff never inquired with (the student) or Waller what they were doing in the classroom or why (the student) was still on campus.”

The lawsuit goes on to allege that the school and staff did not monitor or supervise Waller’s interactions with students, creating an “environment of no oversight or supervision that made it conducive to molest and abuse the school’s students.”

If convicted by federal authorities, Waller could face between 15 and 30 years imprisonment. State charges could result in 25 years, according to a Fresno County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson.