The owner of New Horizons School and principal of Mission Hills Middle School in Castro Valley, 52-year-old Victor Dawson, has been charged with multiple felonies, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday.
The DA’s office said Dawson was charged with two counts of felony wage theft, two counts of felony tax evasion, one count of misdemeanor tax evasion and one count of felony embezzlement.
Authorities report a criminal complaint alleges that in 2024, Dawson committed wage theft against 47 teachers and other staff members. It also alleges that Dawson embezzled retirement contributions from six teachers, allegedly using money from those deductions for his benefits.
Officials said the complaint further alleges that Dawson evaded paying state taxes and payroll taxes by failing to file necessary tax returns, while allegedly deducting payroll taxes from the teacher’s paychecks and using those deductions for his benefit.
In May 2024, New Horizons School announced its closure citing financial troubles and loss of enrollment.
“Parents trust that school owners will use tuition funds to educate their children and to compensate teachers for their hard work, not to enrich themselves,” said DA Jones Dickson. “This case represents a breach of that trust. My office’s Worker Protection Division is committed to prosecuting cases when workers are fraudulently denied their earned income.”
The DA’s office reports a civil judgment against Dawson includes wages owned to employees, civil penalties and labor law penalties totaling $687,986.42. Authorities also encourage anyone who believes they might have been a victim of wage theft, fraud, or any other economic crimes to contact the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office’s Consumer, Environmental & Worker Protection Division at 510-383-8600 or Fax 510-383-8615.
