Fortuna High School Teacher Gary Landergen Arrested for Alleged Sexual Battery of Students

The Fortuna Police Department has arrested Fortuna Union High School math teacher and wrestling coach Gary Landergen on allegations he sexually assaulted at least two students.

According to a press release from the Fortuna Police Department , “at least two students” came forward to report they had been the victim of “inappropriate and unwelcome groping and/or fondling by Landergen.” The Fortuna Union High School District placed Landergen on administrative leave just prior to his arrest. according to the release.

The press release notes that detectives were able to locate and identify witnesses in the case who had “observed some of the alleged misconduct.”

Landergen was booked into the Humboldt County jail on suspicion of sexual battery and annoying, harassing or molesting a child. He was released after posting bail, according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Samantha Karges.

The Fortuna Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance identifying other potential victims and witnesses.

“Victims and their families are urged to come forward with any information and to immediately contact school administrators and the police department,” the press release states.

Landergen reportedly taught and coached in Fortuna in the 1990s before leaving for Argonaut High School in Amador County, where he coached boys and girls wrestling and football and worked until last year.

The Fortuna Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance identifying other potential victims and witnesses.

Victims and their families are urged to come forward with any information and to immediately contact the Fortuna Police Department.

Manly, Stewart & Finaldi has represented hundreds of child sexual abuse victims of teachers and coaches in California schools and Universities. We have secured settlements totaling more than $40 million for families of victims abused in the San Bernardino County schools. We were the lead attorneys helping sexual abuse victims in recover $852 million from the University of Southern California.  We are also the lead attorneys representing Olympic athletes and victims of former US Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team Doctor Larry Nassar and secured $890 million in settlements for our clients. We secured a $243.6 million settlement on behalf of sexual abuse victims at UCLA. In each of these cases we have helped victims and families get justice by conducting a thorough investigation of the organization and the school . We secured a settlement of $140 million on behalf of 81 child sexual abuse victims at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles. This was the largest child sexual abuse settlement by a public school district in history. In many cases we have discovered that administrators and executives know that the perpetrator was a danger to children and either did nothing or actively covered up the crimes.