School employee pleads not guilty to five felony charges in Coachella student abuse case

INDIO, Calif. — Brittny Jaramillo, a 26-year-old former employee of Nova Academy Early College High School in Coachella accused of sexually abusing a student, pleaded not guilty to all five felony charges against her, according to the latest court update.

Jaramillo is scheduled to return to court Dec. 2 for a felony settlement conference. She remains in custody on $30,000 bail.

The charges stem from a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving a student at Nova Academy, located at 52780 Frederick St. in Coachella.

Jaramillo, of Indio, was arrested following the investigation and has since been charged with three counts of penetration with a foreign object, one count of contacting a minor to commit a specific offense and one count of arranging to meet a minor for illicit purposes.

According to court documents, a report was made to deputies on Oct. 8 regarding alleged sexual abuse by a staff member at the charter high school approximately a year earlier.

The criminal complaint alleges Jaramillo met the female victim in early September 2025. Prosecutors allege the encounter involved multiple acts of molestation, though the court documents did not provide further details.

Authorities have not publicly detailed any additional encounters between Jaramillo and the alleged victim.

Following the initial report, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Unit assumed the investigation. Investigators also served a search warrant in the 38000 block of Rancho Los Cerritos in Indio.

Jaramillo's specific position at Nova Academy has not been disclosed. School officials confirmed she is no longer employed at the campus.

In a statement released Monday, Nova Academy said it took immediate action after learning of possible inappropriate behavior by an employee.

“When we learned of possible inappropriate behavior by an employee, we immediately took action to ensure students were safe, investigate the allegations, share information with law enforcement and separate the employee from employment,” the school said.

The school also thanked those who helped address the situation and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department for its partnership.

Jaramillo has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County, according to the information provided in the case.

The investigation remains ongoing. Jaramillo has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the allegations have not been proven in court.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office - Special Victims Unit believes there may be additional victims and encourages anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact Investigator J. Lee at (951) 955–1718 or Sheriff’s Dispatch by calling 951–776–1099.

Jaramillo is a former coach at Desert Elite Mavericks, a cheerleading organization. Desert Elite Mavericks issued a statement on her arrest, assuring parents

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