Peter Colombo, a teacher who is suing Palo Alto Unified School District for what he says is a mishandling of an allegation that he sexually assaulted a former student more than 20 years ago, is now teaching physical education at Fletcher Middle School. 

While Colombo and his lawyer, Evan Nelson, declined to comment for this story, Colombo has repeatedly said the accusations against him are false. Nelson is quoted in the Palo Alto Weekly as saying, “We encourage (the district and Superintendent Don Austin) to correct the record and clear Mr. Colombo’s name as energetically as they maligned it previously, so that the school community’s concerns can be assuaged.”

In 2021, Colombo, a physical education teacher at Greene Middle School at the time, was charged in a sexual assault case regarding a female student who was in his class during the 2001-2002 school year. Following this, the district put Colombo on unpaid leave.

However, in April 2023, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office dropped all charges against Colombo citing insufficient evidence, and Colombo was reinstated as a district employee but relegated to a job that didn’t involve direct contact with students. 

Despite the dropped charges, Karen Ceresnak, a 47-year-old mother of three children including a seventh grader at Fletcher said she is concerned by Colombo’s return to the classroom.

“I feel powerless the way that the school is treating my 12-year-old child,” Ceresnak said. “I’m just frustrated at the way the school is handling it and the way the district has handled it from the beginning.”

Ceresnak said her child feels uncomfortable at Fletcher and unheard by the adults in the district. 

“I want all three of (my kids) to know that if they tell me that they’re uncomfortable in a situation, I will always take them seriously and fight for them,” Ceresnak said. “I will never tell them to suck it up, or this is just what you have to deal with. I want to teach them that it’s when you don’t feel comfortable that you need to say something.”

After Cesernak’s seventh grader learned she was in Colombo’s class, she attempted to switch out and cut class. However, Cesernak said her daughter was threatened with punishments if she tried to skip class.

“I emailed (Principal Melissa Howell) and told her that my child was threatened with detention,” Cesernak said. “The leadership on this has been horrible. If there was a master class on how not to handle this situation, this would be it.”

During the board meeting, Tracy Lee, a parent of a Fletcher student, said she was concerned by the school board’s lack of action and accountability. 

“(The board has) made a public promise to prioritize students’ well-being as well as mental health,” Lee said to the board. “Right now, that promise is being broken. By moving forward with this placement, you are sending a message to the students and parents that their fears don’t matter. So, we ask you to step up and urge and follow and keep your promise.”

Howell declined a Campanile interview request. 

Colombo’s lawsuit against the district is scheduled to be heard in San Jose in January of 2026. 

Superintendent Don Austin did not respond to an interview request for this story.