A former guidance counselor at Yeshiva University High School of Los Angeles was arrested in late August 2024 and later charged with four felonies over an alleged unlawful sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy, authorities said. The counselor, identified by prosecutors as Julie Elizabeth Tichon, 37, entered a not-guilty plea at a Sept. 19 arraignment and was released on her own recognizance.
The case has progressed through early court steps while detectives continue to gather evidence and seek additional witnesses. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Tichon with three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor more than three years younger and one count of oral copulation of a person under 18. The Los Angeles Police Department announced the arrest and asked anyone with information to contact investigators. School leaders said the employee no longer works at the campus, known as YULA High School, in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood. No trial date has been announced as of late January 2026.
Police said the alleged conduct occurred between February and March 2024 while Tichon was employed at the private Orthodox Jewish high school. Investigators said the encounters happened off campus in private locations and came to light after a report from within the school community. Detectives with LAPD’s Operations-West Bureau interviewed witnesses and collected communications under search warrants as they built a timeline of events leading to the August 2024 arrest. “This is a breach of trust by an adult in a position of authority,” District Attorney George Gascón said in announcing the charges. A preliminary hearing was initially set for Nov. 1, 2024, to determine whether the case would proceed to trial.
Authorities said evidence gathered to date includes interviews, digital communications and records tied to the student’s enrollment. Officials did not release the exact number of alleged encounters beyond what is reflected in the four counts. Detectives said they are still reviewing potential corroboration, including any location data or surveillance video from areas where the teen and counselor were believed to have met. The school said administrators notified law enforcement after learning of possible misconduct and that Tichon is no longer on staff. It remains unknown whether additional forensic reports will be presented at the next hearing. Prosecutors said the teen was 16 at the time of the alleged relationship.
Public statements from law enforcement and prosecutors in September 2024 framed the case as part of ongoing efforts to address abuse by adults in positions of responsibility. The campus sits near Pico and Beverly boulevards, an area with several private schools and synagogues, and the arrest drew wide attention in West Los Angeles. The school told families that counselors and administrators were cooperating with the investigation. In media briefings, an LAPD detective said the department wanted to hear from anyone with information because “rather than advising, she was abusing,” a phrase used to underscore the seriousness of the allegations. Tichon, through the not-guilty plea, has denied the charges.
Court records indicate that after the Sept. 19 arraignment, standard release terms were set and the case was placed on the calendar for a preliminary hearing. As of Jan. 23, 2026, officials have not reported a verdict or announced a jury trial date. Prosecutors said any charging amendments or additional counts would be evaluated based on newly developed evidence. If the case advances, it would be presented to a Superior Court judge to decide whether sufficient evidence exists for trial. Separate civil lawsuits filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court name the school as a defendant and allege negligence; those matters proceed independently of any criminal outcome.
Neighbors and former students described mixed reactions as news spread in 2024. A parent who lives near the campus said the allegations “shook our trust in the adults we count on.” A recent graduate said classmates were “confused and upset” when messages about the case circulated in group chats. School leaders said they removed the employee and cooperated with authorities. Former colleagues said the counselor had been visible at events but was not widely known outside assigned caseloads, and several said they were waiting for the court to lay out the evidence.
The criminal case remains active in Los Angeles Superior Court with more scheduling updates expected in the weeks ahead. Investigators said interviews are continuing and additional records could be introduced at the next hearing. Civil complaints tied to the allegations remain in early proceedings.
Author note: Last updated January 23, 2026.