[ShepherdsDog]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012 ... abuse.html

Quote:

The entire staff at a Los Angeles elementary school is being removed while authorities investigate horrific allegations of sexual abuse by two of the school's teachers, one of whom is accused of blindfolding children, taping their mouths and photographing them in a classroom.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy said Monday night that more than 120 staff members at Miramonte Elementary School — everyone from the principal and teachers to the cafeteria workers — were being replaced because a full investigation of the allegations will be disruptive and staffers will require support to get through the scandal.
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Deasy said the employees, which include nearly 90 teachers, will remain out of the school at least until August, when Miramonte changes from a year-round system to a regular summer-vacation schedule. When classes resume, there will be fewer teachers and fewer students because some will be transferred to new schools that are opening.
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Parents divided over teacher removal

Maria Jimenez, 51, said the parents are divided over the decision to remove the school's 88 teachers and 40 other staff members.

"Some are in favour. Others are against it because they did this without advising us or consulting us," she said.

The decision follows the arrest of two longtime Miramonte teachers: Mark Berndt and Martin Springer.

Berndt, 61, was charged last week with committing lewd acts on 23 children, ages 6 to 10, between 2005 and 2010. The acts cited by authorities include blindfolding children and feeding them his semen in his classroom, in what children were allegedly told was a tasting game.

Berndt, who worked at the school for 32 years, remains jailed on $23 million bail and could face life in prison if convicted.

Springer, 49, was arrested Friday on suspicion of fondling two girls in his classroom. He was being held on $2 million bail.

Springer taught at Miramonte for his entire career, which started in 1986, the district said. He taught second grade. The school board is scheduled to discuss firing him in a closed-door meeting Tuesday.

seems a bit of an over reaction.

[jeff744]

Bit it has to do with teachers, public opinion seems to demand that every time one of them does something bad they punish the rest too, and should one be found innocent you slander the hell out of their name and ruin their life anyways.

[Thanos]

Kind of an over-reaction to blame the entire staff. Every time there's been an alleged nest of pedophiles "exposed", aside from the evil monsters who congregate over the internet, it turns out to be entirely false. Looks like this one's already turning into another Martinsville or McMartin pre-school witch-hunt. Hopefully the cons in the LA lock-up get their hands on the two real villains and save the good people of California the cost of a couple of messy trials.

[Freakinoldguy]

If what they are accused of is true, they shouldn't make it to trial.

[Yogi]

ShepherdsDog wrote:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/02/07/school-los-angeles-abuse.html



seems a bit of an over reaction.

At first blush it would seem so, but then perhaps the over-all attitude at this particular school is/was 'terminal'.

[Psudo]

It sounds like there's some unspoken suspicion that the whole staff looked the other way, but not enough evidence to convict them of anything in court. Even if so, replacing the staff isn't as important as ensuring mutual oversight of the "don't let teachers alone with students and without witnesses" variety. There could easily be child predators in the new staff, too.

Freakinoldguy wrote:

If what they are accused of is true, they shouldn't make it to trial.

Too bad we need a trial to determine if it's true. Scum that do this kind of thing deserve some heavy punishment.