Mom Fighting for Justice in Son's Alleged Sex Assault Dies

The family of a woman who was fighting for justice for her son and others without a voice says they will continue her struggle after her death.Eileen Sofa, the mother of a 19-year-old non-verbal, special needs student, died on April 14, soon after coming back from Washington, D.C. where she spoke to education officials about the need to make schools safe for all children. 350 Untested Rape Kits Sent to Outside Lab: DA “She was mostly trying to speak out for kids who couldn’t speak, and who are not like us,” Sofa’s daughter, Jahnella Alai, told NBC 7.Earlier this year, Sofa filed a lawsuit that alleged the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) failed to properly prevent or report an alleged sexual assault on her son in a Lincoln High School bathroom in 2016. In her claim, Sofa said school police failed to tell her “the true facts” of what happened to her son. Shooting Victim Dies in ER Parking Lot: SDPD Sofa said school officials had told her a teacher’s aide walked into the bathroom just before her son had been assaulted, but in police and school reports obtained exclusively by NBC 7, the teacher’s aide reported seeing the student assault Sofa’s son. In a police report, the student admitted to sexually assaulting her son, saying he didn’t know why he did what he did.SDUSD says it cannot comment on ongoing litigation, but before the claim was filed it put out a statement that said, “School safety is a top priority and all protocols are followed when it comes to allegations of wrongdoing.” Arrest in 1986 Escondido Homicide Tied to New Technology Sofa, 45, leaves behind two daughters, her son and a husband of 24 years.“We are going to finish what she started; we’re going to keep going until we get justice for people out there who don’t have a voice to speak, and we’re not going to give up,” Alai added.Sofa’s family says her son, who graduated last year, has not been told about her death.A teacher at Lincoln High who knew the family has set up a Gofundme page to help with funeral expenses.Sofa’s death was related to underlying health issues.
Source: NBC San Diego