A confidential document, dated October 2009, indicates the L.A. Unified School District may have known about sexual misconduct at De La Torre Elementary School and failed to take action. The document reports a protest conducted by parents near the back gate of the elementary school in Wilmington, where police arrested a 57-year-old teacher earlier this year for misconduct. The document says, “Parents stated that there is a male…who has been known to touch female students inappropriately. The parents reported that he caresses the girls, gives them candy, and photographs them without parent permission.” The document named the specific teacher that the parents complained about.
The document also mentioned that one parent was too afraid to provide the name of her niece, who was also a victim of the teacher’s misconduct. The teacher allegedly “rubbed a student’s back several times, stroking her bra strap.” When the parents brought a complaint to the school principal, school officials failed to investigate. The parents said that the principal is friends with the teacher and protecting him. Today, the teacher faces charges of sexual misconduct involving twelve students, all of whom were less than 14 years old. The abuse allegedly took place between September, 2011 and March, 2012. The teacher faces a total of 14 felony counts of misconduct.
The case came into the public eye when the parents bypassed school officials and reported the molestation to the Los Angeles Police Department. The principal and the teacher resigned last year, shortly before the district planned to fire them. After the resignations, other school employees were questioned and, according to the Los Angeles Times, four administrators may be connected to the case. These employees are currently on paid leave. To learn more about sexual misconduct in California schools and the rights of abuse victims and their families, visit our page about sexual abuse in public schools. If your child was abused by a school employee, contact The Senators Firm today. Our team has served as counsel for more than a dozen abuse victims in Wilmington and can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.