David Lane Braff arrested for child sexual abuse

Former assistant principal and school counselor, David Lane Braff, was arrested in November 2024 for molesting eight children at McKevett Elementary in Santa Paula, where he worked from 2015 through 2019. Now, five more accusers have come forward, four of whom attended McKevett Elementary. The fifth new accuser was abused between 2004 and 2005, while Braff was employed at the Conejo Recreation and Park District in Thousand Oaks.

When he was first arrested, Braff was an assistant principal and school counselor at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Winnetka (Los Angeles Unified School District). Braff has a history of working with children in 10 different Southern California school districts and sports facilities over 24 years, including:

• Conejo Recreation and Park District, Thousand Oaks, CA – Part-Time Gym Attendant/Part-Time Recreation Leader (April 2000 – August 2005)
• Conejo Valley Unified School District, Thousand Oaks, CA – Intramural Sports Coach, Campus Supervisor, Childcare Assistant, Substitute Child Leader, Boys’ Freshman Basketball Coach (September 2003 – April 2015; Childcare Assistant 2012–2015) 
• Moorpark Unified School District, Moorpark, CA – Paraeducator and Campus Supervisor/Instructional Assistant (January 2006 – August 2015) 
• The ABA Network, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA – Behavioral Therapist (July 2014 – August 2014)
• Santa Paula Unified School District, Santa Paula, CA – McKevett Elementary School Counselor (August 2015 – November 2019) 
• Bright Star Schools, Los Angeles, CA – School Counselor (November 2019 – unknown) 
• Rio School District, Oxnard, CA – Substitute Teacher (September 2019 – unknown) 
• Sports Academy, Thousand Oaks, CA – Referee (June 2021 – November 2024) 
• Ventura Unified School District, Ventura, CA – Counselor (January 2022 – February 2023) 
• Ingenium Charter Middle School, Canoga Park, CA – Assistant Principal/School Counselor (March 2023 – November 2024)

Baff pleaded not guilty to the original charges and is currently in custody at the Ventura County Jail, with bail set at $3 million.

If you or anyone you know suffered abuse by Braff or have any further information about this or other abuse allegations in Southern California, we may be able to help. Please contact us.

Sources/Further reading:

Ventura County District Attorney Press Release, November 22, 2024

ABC 7 News Report re: initial arrest, November 23, 2024

Yahoo News article re: 5 more accusers, April 29, 2025

Ventura County District Attorney Press Release, April 29, 2025