The plaintiff, born in 2004, is identified only as Jane Doe 1 in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit brought against the county, the Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Daniel Acquilano and the AVUHSD. The plaintiff has been identified in previous media accounts as Mikaila Robinson.
“If Acquilano has a history of targeting Black students and/or a history of excessive use of force, that information would be undoubtedly relevant in this case,” the plaintiff’s attorneys state in their court papers filed Friday, March 10, with Judge Armen Tamzarian, who is scheduled to hold a hearing on their motion April 17.
Good reason exists to order production of Acquilano’s personnel records because he “interfered with plaintiff’s right to bodily integrity and her right to attend school without fear of violence by body slamming her to the ground,” Doe’s attorneys further state in their court papers. Acquilano will be called as a witness at trial by Doe’s attorneys, who will ask him many questions regarding his prior track record, complaints against him, investigations of those complaints and his training records, the plaintiff’s lawyers state in their court papers.
“These relevant records are undoubtedly contained in his personnel file,” Doe’s attorneys state in their court papers. Attorneys for the county and the district deny any liability and state that the plaintiff is not entitled to damages, according to their court papers.
The incident was recorded on video and occurred Aug. 30, 2021, at Lancaster High when the girl, then 16, refused the deputy’s request to hand over her cell phone and began walking away, the suit states.
“After slamming her down, he straddles her face down on the ground, while she is screaming to call her mom,” the suit filed last May 4 states. “The video captures school personnel standing around watching the incident, failing to intervene.”
Doe remained face-down on the ground for several minutes, pinned and straddled by the deputy, the suit states.
“Horrified and in shock, Jane Doe repeatedly screamed that he get off of her and not touch her,” the suit states. “Jane Doe continued pleading to be allowed to call her mother throughout the assault, but was denied the opportunity to do so.”
Doe was taken nearly 50 miles away to Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar and her mother was notified to pick her up about 8 p.m., according to the suit.
She returned to school for one day on Sept. 3, 2021, and Acquilano “continued to engage in highly inappropriate conduct by mocking, teasing and harassing her over the attack,” the suit alleges.
Doe’s mother was forced to look for alternative education for her daughter through independent study because the district has not removed Acquilano from Lancaster High, the suit states.
Doe was left “physically and emotionally devastated,” the suit states.
Previous related story: Lawsuit filed on behalf of Lancaster High School student allegedly assaulted by deputy
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warm_fish_salad says
How about we fix the problem….no phones at school….or listen when someone of authority tells you what to do….PERIOD….it’s. that. easy……
Tim Scott says
Yeah…like that prison inmate wouldn’t have had to get raped if her parents had just taught her “do what the ‘person in authority’ tells you to to do,” right?
Get it through your head…”do what they tell you” only works if ‘they’ have limits on what they can tell you to do AND they follow those limits. Cops detain people without cause CONSTANTLY and baton polishers just say ‘well, back the blue.’ That’s one of the biggest problems.
As to ‘no phones at school’ I think you are gonna have a gigantic problem with modern parents on that one. The “I don’t let my kid play outside, I barely let them out of my sight, I am so controlling and paranoid that I need to be able to text them every hour” crowd would freak out.
Joe says
He obviously asked her for her cell phone which she POSSIBLY violated the school district policy. You cannot use the camera, or recording device that violates the rights of OTHER students on campus.
Your analogy about rape seems completely ludicrous and irrelevant to the incident. Im sure there is video of the deputy taking the girl to the ground..and highly unlikely he “picked her up and slammed her to the ground”, or she would have requested medical treatment. Seems like a case of a girl, acting like a spoiled brat, and deciding to not act in a “CIVILIZED” manner. i.e..like an “animal”
Excessive says
Definitely a body slam after watching the vid
Not4blue says
The sheriff’s department is out of control and needs to be stopped
Sick of BS says
Undisciplined kids with bad behaviors, allowed by their parents, are out of control and need to be stopped!
Joe Gannon says
wait, I’m pretty sure its because of people like Tim Scott…
someone else named Sick of BS seemed to think he was the reason. (is that name S’oBS becoming common like “John Smith” or “Michael Davis”?)
the interweb is SOOOO confusing
Body Slam says
Acquilano is a waste of space.
warm_fish_salad says
Are you supposed to have your phone at school?<<serious question
Tim Scott says
I am pretty sure the rule is that they can’t use it in class. There are WAY too many parents on the “I have to be able to contact my kid 24/7” bandwagon for the school to say “leave phone at home.” In any event, “you broke a school rule so a full grown man gets to assault you” is not how ANYTHING works.
Sandy says
No matter what the deal is with the phone he didn’t have any right to violate her constitutional right which was amendment fourth illegal search an seizure and mind u she is a minor mother should had been contacted immediately. I bet if it wouldn’t be a minority attended community I would have not happened. That’s the whole point we sent our kids to school so they can learn their rights!! Keep fighting for your rightscases like this tend to stay in vein don’t let this Keep happening
Thuderclese says
Student’s are allowed to have their phones at school. It’s pretty much up to the individual teacher as to whether or not they allow them to use them during class time. If a teacher does have a policy in class forbidding students from using a phone and a student fails to comply they may get a referral for being defiant. Cell phones may also be considered a disruption around campus for various reasons such as filming a fight, playing music loudly, etc. That being said most kids on campuses in the AVUHSD have phones and most don’t cause a disruption with them around campus.
As for the incident that took place, I can’t really comment on. I watched the video, but don’t know what lead up to what happened between her and the deputy. The doors that she is seen being taken out of lead to the offices where administrators would be, so I don’t know if she was already there for an incident and the deputy had to be called to assist.
Support Blue says
If you teach your children to disrespect law enforcement, do not be surprised when there are consequences. If Deputies were allowed to body slam more people when they’re acting like jerks, there might be less jerks.
Dms says
Omg! What right did he have to put his hands on her! He should be immediately removed from dealing with teenagers! What did he tell the young male students in the school? Why did the teachers not step in to help her? It was a cell phone not a gun! I am a 71 year old woman who raised 3 children who were not perfect but if the resource cop ever put his hands on one of my children he would not be there at the end of the week! I am a Registered Nurse for 51 years. She could have stopped breathing, had her liver lacerated, broke her back etc! What is wrong with this school district? I would have gone to the next school board meeting and demanded to have him removed! I believe not only his history as a cop but also as a boyfriend/husband! He is still there???? I truly do not understand! He will seriously hurt someone possibly kill a child and then what will the school and the department say “ I am sorry? “ Somebody please help this girl and her mom! I have never responded to anything like this but I am shocked by this!
Sick of BS says
…..people like you are the reason kids are so out of control and why the schools are a mess and why teachers are walking off the job in droves!
Tim Scott says
In a similar vein, people like you can be blamed for cops that think “law enforcement” includes a free pass on illegal behavior.
Sgt Friday says
huh.
I would think the parents have a much larger role, but, gosh, good to have an expert opinion posted randomly here on the interweb.
thank you
Debra says
I agree! He NEVER should have used force like that with a minor she is still a minor child for all accounts!! There is not a law that provides that Officer with a right to use physical force with a minor child, I’m sure!
There are many other remedies for discipline and there are laws that say parents are not allowed to use physical force to discipline their child, what give ANYONE THAT RIGHT???
That officer will end up killing or badly injuring someone’s child in the future just hope it isn’t your kid!!!
Tim Scott says
There are times when force is called for, even if the person being taken into custody is a minor.
Key words there: being taken into custody. That requires probable cause. There has to have been a crime committed, and there has to be reasonable grounds to believe that the person being arrested committed that crime. Walking away from someone who says they want to talk to you is not a crime. It is apparently too much of a blow to Deputy Daniel Acquilano’s hyperinflated ego for him to keep his head and obey the law rather than commit a violent assault, but it is not a crime. This is pretty typical among people who are designated as ‘law enforcement.’ They can’t be bothered with obeying the law themselves.
Jacqueline Venters says
Hold him accountable. Make them release his file. My son was shot in yhe back 5 times by LASD. It took 10 years to get the Deputy file. The LA TIMES AND KPCC RADIO sued them. The Deputy had sho 4 people in 7 months. Killing one, one a minor on his knees with his hands, my son and a month later another victim shot in the back. All unarmed. I have been fighting for JUSTICE since April 4th, 2011. They are criminals and corrupted. The Internal Affairs will protect the LASD, the investigation will be unjust.
Judith Tra Herne Gilbert says
GOD SAW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!