Kristen Cunnane, now a UC Berkeley swim coach, is suing the district for covering up her claims of sexual abuse years ago, by two of her teachers.
In its legal response to her lawsuit, the district said Cunnane's own "carelessness or negligence" may have played a role in what happened.
Cunnane told ABC7 News she is outraged by the district's defense.
On Wednesday the district issued a statement apologizing to Cunnane for any anxiety or distress it caused, and directed its attorney to withdraw that line of defense.
