Lawsuit alleges Sacramento Unified teacher sexually harassed aide

A Sacramento City Unified School District teacher last year said to his aide, ‘I would love to touch you,’ then threatened to fire her if she told her husband, a newly filed lawsuit alleges.

The woman started working for the district as an aide in November 2023, according to the suit, filed Monday in Sacramento Superior Court, against the school district and the teacher, Willie Anderson.

Anderson is still a district employee, said Al Goldberg, a district spokesperson.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified financial damages from the school system, whose superintendent, Lisa Allen, announced Thursday that she is resigning from the post, effective immediately, amid a budget crisis that puts it at high risk of fiscal insolvency. It’s unclear what the potential financial liability the cash-strapped district might face if the allegations in the suit are substantiated.

Starting around February 2025, Anderson started sexually harassing the aide, Sakina Wafai, her lawsuit alleges, by threatening her and giving her unwanted physical contact. Anderson repeatedly called her “beautiful,” and invited her to his house, despite her repeatedly declining, the suit also states.

In May, he violated her religious boundaries, the suit alleges, when he asked the woman to remove her headscarf so he could see her hair, allegedly telling her “you’re very attractive as an Afghani woman.”

Anderson also allegedly pressured her to accept perfume he wanted to buy for her so she could wear it for him.

“In or around April 2025, Anderson’s harassment escalated. Anderson told Wafai, ‘I would love to touch you, please make me happy,’” the suit alleges. She “refused his advances and reminded him that she was married. Anderson responded by asking why she is so honest with her husband and saying everything will stay between them. He then threatened Wafai stating that if she told her husband, he would fire her.”

The same month, Anderson touched the woman without her consent, grabbing her arm and attempted to pull her into a hug while they were alone in the classroom, the suit alleges.

The woman escaped, later suffered a panic attack and sought emergency medical treatment, the suit alleges.

The woman reported Anderson’s conduct to her supervisor and submitted a formal complaint to the district, according to her lawsuit. The district then moved the woman to a different school within the district. After the transfer, Wafai’s coworkers allegedly started treating her with hostility, for reporting Anderson’s behavior.

The district later informed Wafai that no action would be taken against Anderson, the suit alleges.

She resigned from the district in October.

Anderson, is still a child development teacher in the district, according to a district web page. He has two teaching certificates, both of which are active, according to a state website.

Goldberg said the district doesn’t comment on pending litigation adding, “the district takes all allegations of employee misconduct seriously and is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful work environment. When concerns are raised, the district follows established policies and procedures to review and address them appropriately.”

Anderson did not respond to emails, text messages and calls seeking comment for this story. The Sacramento City Teachers Association, the union that represents teachers, did also not respond to a request for comment.