A martial arts academy that employed an instructor accused of inappropriately touching two young female students "carelessly and negligently” failed to establish appropriate guidelines for interacting and teaching minors, according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of one girl.
In a suit filed earlier this month, the girl's guardian holds parent company Action Martial Arts, Inc. liable for instructor Meng Ricky Wong's alleged actions at Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy in San Mateo and asks for damages to punish and make an example of those involved, including owner Tat Mau Wong.
Meng Ricky Wong, 36, of Redwood City is charged with four counts of molestation that leave him facing life in prison if convicted of abusing multiple victims. He's free from custody on a $100,000 bail bond but due back in criminal court Sept. 28 for a preliminary hearing on the evidence.
Wong worked at the 43rd Avenue studio between 1999 and 2011. Prosecutors say he fondled two girls, ages 9 and 11, at different times between August 2010 and October 2011. The girls do not know each other but are very similar in age and appearance, according to San Mateo police.
In the first instance, Wong allegedly took the girl upstairs at the studio and touched her breasts and buttocks. The girl reported the incident but the lack of corroboration led to no prosecution. In October 2011, the second girl reported an identical touching incident upstairs at the studio.
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Which girl's guardian filed the San Mateo County Superior Court case is unclear but she joined the academy in October 2006 in hopes of earning a black belt, according to the document. In late summer through November 2010, Wong touched the girl in a way unconnected to his instruction, the suit alleges.
As a result, the girl claims she suffered severe pain and suffering, anxiety, shock, humiliation and fame. She also incurred expenses for medical care, medicine and counseling, the suit states.
An attorney for the girl and representatives of Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy did not return calls for comment.
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