March 28, 2024, 01:31:11 PM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: NEW CHILD BOARD CREATED IN THE POLITICAL SECTION FOR THE 2016 ELECTION
 
   Home   Help Login Register  
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 »   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: LA Elem. Teacher Mark Berndt Fired & Chgd with Lewd Acts Against 23 Children  (Read 50705 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #80 on: March 29, 2012, 07:07:32 PM »

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/03/28/ex-miramonte-teacher-mark-berndt-to-appear-in-court-in-abuse-case/
Judge Denies Bail Reduction For Ex-Miramonte Teacher Mark Berndt
March 28, 2012

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A judge declined to reduce the $23 million bail Wednesday for Mark Berndt, a former Miramonte Elementary School teacher, accused of abusing nearly two dozen children.

Berndt, 61, pleaded not guilty last month to 23 counts of committing a lewd act on a child.
 ::snipping2::
n court Wednesday, Berndt’s attorney, Victor Acevedo, said his client was not a flight risk and his bail should be reduce to $1 million.

However, as KNX 1070′s John Brooks reports, the judge refused after claiming several of Berndt’s victims have reported nightmares about their abuse.
 ::snipping2::
Berndt will return to court on May 1 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.

Berndt was fired last January and, given school policy, was able to resign soon after — a move that allows long-time teachers to keep their pension.

He is being held in solitary confinement on $23 million bail, $1 million for each count.
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #81 on: March 31, 2012, 08:55:18 PM »

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-new-lausd-sex-report-policy,0,5039910.story
New LAUSD 72-Hour Policy for Reporting Sex Misconduct
March

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- Parents will be notified within 72 hours when a teacher at their child's school has been accused of sexual misconduct, under a new policy adopted Thursday by Los Angeles Unified officials.

The announcement came just hours after District officials confirmed that an unidentified teacher at Sutter Middle School in Winnetka had been removed from the classroom amid allegations of wrongdoing.

He is accused of inappropriately touching two female students.


Another teacher at the school reportedly brought the accusations to school administrators.

The new policy follows calls by San Fernando Valley school board members Tamar Galatzan and Nury Martinez to change how the district notifies parents about abuse allegations.

"This is definitely a move in the right direction," Galatzan said. "It strikes a delicate balance between the rights of parents to know what's going on and the rights of our employees."

Martinez said the 72-hour window will allow the district to communicate with law enforcement to ensure the district's announcement will not interfere with any investigation or potentially harm the victim.

"This new policy will begin the process of rebuilding trust with parents and kids," she said.

The district was blasted by parents at Miramonte Elementary for failing to inform them for more than a year that teacher Mark Berndt was suspected of molesting 23 students.

Officials also withheld information about the arrest last October of Telfair Elementary teacher Paul Chapel on charges of molesting four children.
 ::snipping2::
The new policy applies only to teachers and other certificated employees.

separate policy is being developed for teacher's aides, custodians and volunteers/coaches and is expected to be in place by the start of the 2012-13 school year.

Video at Link
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #82 on: April 03, 2012, 09:26:36 AM »

http://www.kitv.com/news/national/L-A-schools-to-tell-parents-of-teacher-misconduct-quicker/-/8905418/9869208/-/sxywakz/-/
L.A. schools to tell parents of teacher misconduct quicker
Parents to be advised within 72 hours

April 3, 2012

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -

The Los Angeles public school system will notify parents within 72 hours when a teacher at their child's school has been removed from the classroom on allegations of sexual misconduct against students, officials said Friday.
The new policy comes in the wake of alleged sexual misconduct by teachers against pupils at Miramonte Elementary and other schools. Miramonte parents complained that they weren't notified for months about former teacher Mark Berndt, who has been charged with 23 counts of lewd conduct upon students. Parents learned of the alleged crimes through the media.

The only exception to the policy, adopted Thursday, would occur if the Los Angeles Unified School District were told by police to not release the information within the 72-hour period.
 ::snipping2::
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #83 on: April 11, 2012, 01:28:14 PM »

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/miramonte-to-get-new-parents-center.html
Miramonte Elementary to get new parents center
April 10, 2012

Miramonte Elementary, the school where a former teacher faced misconduct charges, will have a new parents center next fall.

The $143,535 project to relocate and update the center won unanimous approval Tuesday from the Los Angeles Board of Education. The effort at Miramonte, which is located in unincorporated Florence-Firestone, is part of a $20-million districtwide initiative authorized in June 2011.
 ::snipping2::
At least five updated parent centers have been finished across the nation’s second-largest school system, and a group of 22 more were approved for construction in February. About 300 schools will eventually benefit.

The timetable for the Miramonte upgrade was accelerated in response to the teachers' arrests and also because the school was moving next fall from a year-round schedule to a traditional calendar.
“There’s going to be huge shuffling of classrooms and administrative rooms,” Nadia Funn, a development specialist with the district’s parent-services branch, said in an interview.

Miramonte’s current parent center is large, using three bungalows on the edge of the playground, but poorly equipped, Funn said. The new location, in the main building near the school entrance, will have computers, wireless Internet access, printers, an independent phone line, furniture fit to the room and a children’s play area.

The goal is to give the neighborhood’s low-income parents online access that they can’t afford at home. The center also will provide parent training and space for meetings.

The project will not pay for big-screen TVs and refrigerators, which were included in parent centers at schools overseen by the nonprofit controlled by L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Those features were paid for with donations solicited by the mayor’s team.

The district projects are funded through voter-approved school bonds, and rules limit what the money can be used for, Funn said.
 ::snipping2::
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #84 on: April 19, 2012, 04:53:55 PM »

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8626315
Teacher misconduct bill OK'ed by committee; school boards get fire power
April 18, 2012

Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #85 on: May 02, 2012, 02:08:19 PM »

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8643593
Miramonte teacher Mark Berndt hearing postponed
May 1, 2012

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A hearing has been postponed for Mark Berndt, the former Miramonte Elementary School teacher accused of committing lewd acts with his students. He will now appear in court Thursday.
Thursday's preliminary hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to put the former third grade teacher on trial.
 ::snipping2::
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #86 on: May 04, 2012, 09:33:47 PM »

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/05/03/berndt-hearing-delayed-until-june-400-pieces-of-evidence-submitted/
Berndt Hearing Delayed Until June; 400 Pieces Of Evidence Submitted
May 3, 2012


Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #87 on: May 04, 2012, 09:35:11 PM »

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/03/state/n112634D33.DTL
LA Unified teachers rally over removed staffers
May 3, 2012

Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #88 on: May 04, 2012, 09:36:42 PM »

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/05/04/california-teachers-protest-their-removal-after-molestation-scandal/
Los Angeles Teachers Protest Removal After Molestation Scandal
May 4, 2012

Los Angeles teachers, temporarily replaced by an entire staff of new teachers, at the school where two teachers were arrested on child lewdness charges in January demanded on Thursday that they be returned to their classrooms, saying they are being unfairly punished.

"It hurts, what's going on," said Ingrid Villeda, chairwoman of United Teachers Los Angeles South Area.

Villeda was speaking on behalf of many of the 85 teachers assembled behind her at a rally in front of the unfinished Augustus Hawkins High School where the teachers have been warehoused since being removed from Miramonte Elementary School in February.

Superintendent John Deasy (DAY-see) temporarily replaced the entire staff after veteran teacher Mark Berndt was arrested in January on charges that he fed semen to students. That was followed by allegations of lewd acts by a second teacher.

A spokesman says Deasy has no comment.
 ::snipping2::
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #89 on: May 07, 2012, 08:11:48 PM »

http://www.ecollegetimes.com/student-life/l-a-unified-is-named-in-negligence-lawsuit-1.2739078
L.A. Unified is named in negligence lawsuit
By Nicole Santa Cruz, Los Angeles Times
May 7, 2012

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Unified School District was named in a negligence lawsuit filed this week on behalf of 20 former Miramonte Elementary School students who say they were victims of sexual abuse by a former teacher at the school.
The lawsuit, which names several school board members as well as the current and former principal at Miramonte, claims that the district did not do enough to protect students who had lodged complaints about inappropriate conduct at the school.
Mark Berndt, who in January was charged with 23 counts of committing lewd acts on children, was not named in the suit. He has pleaded not guilty. He was fired from the school, located south of downtown Los Angeles, a year earlier.
The charges brought intense scrutiny of the district, which launched an internal investigation to determine how Berndt, a veteran third-grade teacher, could evade suspicion for so long.
More...
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #90 on: May 31, 2012, 09:10:15 PM »

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2012/05/california-senate-supports-streamlining-teacher-removal-over-crimes.html
California Senate supports streamlining teacher removal over crimes
May 29, 2012

The state Senate passed a measure Tuesday that would make it easier to remove teachers from the classroom when they are accused of sexual abuse or violence against students.

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) introduced the measure in response to allegations of sexual misconduct against several teachers at Los Angeles campuses including Miramonte Elementary School, where former teacher Mark Berndt has pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of lewd conduct.

Padilla told his Senate colleagues that while most teachers in California deserve the public’s trust, "Unfortunately, as in any profession, there are the few who abuse that trust and who sometimes engage in conduct so egregious that it  warrants decisive action.''

The measure makes it easier to immediately suspend teachers from classroom duty when accused of certain crimes, and gives the local school board, rather than a panel that includes a teacher, final say on dismissal in cases involving violence, drugs and sexual abuse against students. The bill also allows evidence more than four years old to be considered. The Senate voted 33-4 to send SB 1530 to the Assembly for consideration.


The measure is opposed by the California Teachers Assn. and California Federation of Teachers.Those voting against it were Democratic Sens. Roderick Wright of Inglewood, Ted Lieu of Torrance and Leland Yee and Mark Leno, both from San Francisco.
 ::snipping2::
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #91 on: May 31, 2012, 09:12:05 PM »

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/29/state/n183717D57.DTL
Bill responds to LA Unified teacher sex abuse case
May 29, 2012

The state Senate has approved legislation that would make it easier for school districts to fire teachers accused of gross misconduct.

SB1530 by Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla responds to a Los Angeles case in which a teacher was arrested for blindfolding his students and spoon-feeding them his semen.
 ::snipping2::
The bill by Padilla, of Los Angeles, comes after longtime Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of lewdness on a child.

Teachers unions oppose the bill, saying it harms teachers' due process rights. It passed the Senate 33-4 Tuesday and goes to the Assembly.
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #92 on: May 31, 2012, 09:13:55 PM »

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8681826
Miramonte Elementary parents, former students sue LAUSD
May 30, 2012

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Parents and several former students of Miramonte Elementary School are suing the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The lawsuit alleges 11 students suffered neglect and emotional distress. It names school Superintendent John Deasy and all seven school board members as defendants but does not specifically mention former Miramonte teacher Mark Berndt.
 ::snipping2::
Twenty other former students filed a similar lawsuit earlier this month.
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #93 on: May 31, 2012, 09:16:56 PM »

http://www.scpr.org/blogs/education/2012/05/31/6412/lausd-files-more-600-cases-alleged-teacher-miscond/
LAUSD files 604 cases of alleged teacher misconduct with state from past 4 years
By Tami Abdollah
May 31, 2012

 ::snipping2::
Superintendent John Deasy ordered the filing or refilling of all cases of teachers accused of misconduct over the past four years in February after KPCC reported that the district broke state law when it waited a year before notifying the state that it had fired Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt. Berndt is charged with committing lewd acts with children.

"The whole project has been completed and all of the files we deemed appropriate to go up there were sent up," Deasy said today.

In all 604 cases were sent dating back to July 1, 2008, said LAUSD spokesman Thomas Waldman. According to the commission's most recent numbers recorded May 12, 103 cases were previously reported by the district and 122 are not within its jurisdiction; about 60 percent warrant formal review. The cases include a range of issues from failure to maintain a required credential to "an allegation of abuse of a child."

The agency, which opened 210 cases after receiving notices from school districts statewide in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, has scrambled to deal with a flood of reports from LAUSD and took steps in early March to respond to the increase

Deasy said he didn't have "the slightest idea" how so many cases went unreported. "All I know is that it has been addressed," he said.
 ::snipping2::
According to state law, a district must report to the commission certain changes in a teacher’s status, such as suspension without pay for more than 10 days or dismissal, within a month of the action.

The commission has the power to investigate such cases and ultimately can suspend or revoke a teacher’s credential for unprofessional conduct.

Deasy also ordered principals at 1,048 schools to review all personnel files for possible unreported misconduct over the last 40 years by May 30; that process is ongoing, Waldman said.
 ::snipping2::
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #94 on: May 31, 2012, 09:17:58 PM »

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/05/31/46987.htm
LAUSD Molestations Spark Grim Federal Complaint
By MATT REYNOLDS
May 31, 2012

Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
Amys Sister
Monkey Junky Jr.
**
Offline Offline

Posts: 748


« Reply #95 on: June 01, 2012, 02:18:17 PM »

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/05/31/46987.htm
LAUSD Molestations Spark Grim Federal Complaint
By MATT REYNOLDS
May 31, 2012



 ::snipping2::
During Berndt's tenure, the parents say, two other teachers, Martin Springer and Richard Guevara, were also abusing students. Guevara is serving jail time, according to the complaint, and Springer was arrested in February.
     "In essence, at one period in time no less than three serial child molesters were actively abusing hundreds of Miramonte students at the same time for years," the complaint states.
     Berndt allegedly kept a jar of Vaseline on his desk which he used to masturbate in class, and sometimes wore a "freakish" Mickey Mouse costume with women's tights, the parents say. They claim the school's principal Martin Sandoval walked into the classroom as Berndt was videotaping students but let him off with a verbal warning.
     The parents claim LAUSD ignored those red flags and other instances of "freakish behavior."
     "LAUSD ignored multiple prior student complaints about Berndt and a district attorney investigation. LAUSD ignored parent complaints and failed to detect the massive number of lewd acts committed by at least three active child predators on one small campus for years," the complaint states.
 ::snipping2::

 
Logged
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #96 on: June 19, 2012, 09:43:54 PM »

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/06/14/attorney-ex-miramonte-teacher-being-punished-in-small-jail-cell/
Attorney: Ex-Miramonte Teacher ‘Being Punished’ In Small Jail Cell
June 14, 2012

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The lawyer for a former South Los Angeles elementary school teacher accused of perverted activities said Thursday his client is unjustly suffering behind bars.

KNX 1070′s John Brooks reports defense attorney Victor Acevado continues to deny allegations that Mark Berndt gagged his students at Miramonte Elementary and fed them semen-laced cookies.
 ::snipping2::
My understanding is that the cell he’s in is very small, it’s like a 9 (foot)-by-3 (foot),” said Acevedo. “He hasn’t been convicted of anything and yet you would think he serving time for a sentence that he was convicted for and is being punished for.”

A judge set the next court date for August 16, but it appears the preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for trial won’t begin until January.
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #97 on: June 19, 2012, 09:45:20 PM »

http://laist.com/2012/06/14/lawyer_accused_miramonte_tasting_ga.php
Lawyer: Accused Miramonte "Tasting Game" Teacher "unjustly suffering behind bars"
June 14, 2012

Is this the case of an accused man's attorney calling the "waaaaaambulance" or a legit gripe? The lawyer representing ousted Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt says "his client is unjustly suffering behind bars," according to CBS2.
 ::snipping2::
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #98 on: June 30, 2012, 01:41:28 PM »

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/29/local/la-me-teachers-20120629
Bill to expedite firing teachers is rejected
An Assembly panel votes down the measure to give school boards final authority to dismiss teachers accused of 'serious and egregious' conduct involving sex abuse, drugs or violence toward children.
June 29, 2012

Los Angeles schools chief John Deasy blasted state lawmakers Thursday for not passing a bill to speed up the teacher-dismissal process, which he and others pushed following the sex-abuse scandal at Miramonte Elementary School.

The bill fell one vote short of clearing an Assembly education committee when six of the seven Democratic members either opposed it or abstained. Committee Chairwoman Julia Brownley (D-Oak Park) supported the bill, as did four Republican colleagues.

The measure would have allowed school boards to immediately suspend without pay a teacher or administrator notified of dismissal for "serious and egregious unprofessional conduct" involving sex abuse, drugs or violence toward children.
More...
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #99 on: July 15, 2012, 06:17:01 PM »

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1207/12/ddhln.01.

DR. DREW

Report Condemns Penn State; Miramonte Abuse Scandal

Aired July 12, 2012 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST: Here we go.

 ::snipping2::

And later, parents sue a California school district for failing to protect their kids from an alleged pedophile teacher.

Let`s get started.

(MUSIC)
 ::snipping2::

Next up, did a code of silence lead to the alleged abuse of at least 23 elementary school kids in Los Angeles? We`ll talk about that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PINSKY: Straight ahead, are child sex predators hiding in our kid`s schools? Dramatic new developments in the horrific new allegations of abuse at a California elementary school a parent of one of the alleged young victims is calling in.

Plus, your call and questions about anything and everything.

(MUSIC)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

"ALEX", ALLEGED VICTIM AT MIRAMONTE ELEMENTARY: (INAUDIBLE) is like a real laid-back teacher, like one of those cool teachers, like who you look forward go-to-going to his class every day. Yes, I was (INAUDIBLE).

PINSKY: What did that mean?

ALEX: Well, like I said on Fridays, like, would you have little prizes for the kids who were good, like the good kids. Would blindfold them and give them prizes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: That was a boy we`ll call Alex. I had spoken to him in February. Now 14, he is still coping with abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of Miramonte elementary school teacher Mark Burnt.

Now, Burnt is charged with committing lewd acts with 23 children in his classroom. Parents now suing the school district. They say a code of silence hid the abuse that may have gone on for decades.

Joining me again, Brian Claypool, attorney for some of the alleged victims at Miramonte School. And CNN Espanol reporter Jacqueline Hurtado.

Brian, was there a culture of silence there?

CLAYPOOL: Categorically, there was a culture of silence. And I can tell you, I verified that because since I was last on your show, I received phone calls from at least three teachers who teach in the Los Angeles unified school district who had gone to administration in the Los Angeles unified school district and reported suspected child abuse. And what happened to them? They were retaliated against. They were told we don`t believe you.

They were demoted, and they were practically run out of the school. That proves that what they are doing is facilitating a code of silence, and they`re saying don`t report this.

PINSKY: Is that the administration or is that other teachers?


CLAYPOOL: It starts at the top, Dr. Drew. This has been going on for 20 or 30 years. Berndt was doing this back in the early 1990s. It`s a culture. It`s not unlike Penn State. It`s a culture that`s been created. And I`m telling you, it is all about the money.

A lot of folks don`t know this, but for every child that doesn`t show up in a classroom in a Los Angeles Unified School District, the district loses money. They get money if kids show up at school. So, then they have a decision to make.

Are we going to take this teacher to task for alleged child abuse and risk losing a bunch of funding or are we going to roll this under the carpet because we got to run a big business here?

PINSKY: Now, Jacqueline, you`ve been giving us the point of view of the community, the community members, parents who have the kids at the schools. What`s the current feeling on the ground there?

JACQUELINE HURTADO, REPORTER, CNN ON ESPANOL: Well, I`ve recently spoken to a few parents and I talked to this woman who said it took her about a month to actually report what was going on that her son was a victim.

PINSKY: And you told me they were fearful of reporting, right?

HURTADO: Yes, because of their legal status. We have to remember that wherever Miramonte is located, the community is a working class community. The majority of the community members are immigrants and a vast majority of them are undocumented. So, many of them didn`t report what was going on because they feared that authorities would go after them because of their legal status.

PINSKY: And you would also taught me that the way the Hispanic community looks at a teacher, it`s almost like a parent or family member, and we see wouldn`t (ph) think of reporting, or you might be a big resistance to that?

HURTADO: Yes. A lot of the parents that I spoke to said that they really never saw anything bad with Mr. Berndt hugging their children, attending birthday parties or things like that. So, when they heard the news, they were extremely surprised that this was going on for several years allegedly.

PINSKY: But you mentioned something here, Jacqueline, attending birthday parties. Brian, that`s sort of a boundary violation already. That`s -- you know, any time teachers show up in situations where they`re not teaching, kind of you`re in a circumstance where it can be problematic.

And I guess, the community sort of welcomed that kind of thing. But the reality is, professional standards would suggest otherwise.

CLAYPOOL: Dr. Drew, clearly, there are red flags that were floating everywhere. At Miramonte, red flags floating at Penn State. We, as human beings, have to see these red flags.

PINSKY: Yes.

CLAYPOOL: Inviting kids to parties. I interviewed some kids were Berndt had them on his shoulders out in the middle of the play area, girls, little girls on his shoulders. I mean, at some point, you have to say this is not --

PINSKY: Not OK.

CLAYPOOL: Not OK. You don`t even need the law to tell that you need to pick the phone up and say, look, I think this dude is weird. Let`s look into it. Do something.

PINSKY: Right. Now, I understand, Brian, you have something that you wanted to report here on our show, something brand new that I don`t know what this is, you tell me.

CLAYPOOL: Right. I wanted to, you know, announce on your show that after the Miramonte scandal unfolded, I took it upon my self to write a letter to President Obama and to his wife, Michelle Obama, and I implored them to look into the Miramonte scandal, because I`m a single parent of a six-year-old girl, and I had to look into the eyes of all these kids and see the terror in their face.

And I asked President Obama to launch a federal investigation of Miramonte and the Los Angeles Unified School District. Please to report that I received a letter from the Washington, D.C. FBI office. They`ve opened a file in the local FBI office, and we are very, very hopeful that very soon, there`s going to be a full-pledged federal investigation of Miramonte and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

PINSKY: I know. We`ll stay on top of that. I`m certain Jacqueline will stay on top of that, too. I`m going to take a quick call. Ashley in Georgia -- Ashley.

ASHLEY, GEORGIA: Yes.

PINSKY: Go ahead.

ASHLEY: Hi.

PINSKY: Hi.
ASHLEY: I called in about -- I`ve had an experience in high school where my high school teacher would press himself up against me, like his genital region, like in the hallway when it was really crowded, and he would like whisper in my ear, squeeze me. And then he`d kind of cough, excuse me.

PINSKY: Oh, my God! Did you report that? Did you get any support?

ASHLEY: No. I never did.

PINSKY: I mean, there`s actually name for that. It`s called frauderism. It`s not OK. It`s a violation of your basic integrity of your body boundaries.

ASHLEY: Yes. And I felt that. I felt completely violated, but I had prior sexual abuse that I had reported from a family member, and I reported and was not believed.

PINSKY: Ashley, unfortunate and horrible reality is that abusers somehow pick out people that have been victimized and they intuitively know that that`s a good victim who won`t come to their own defense because they`ve been victimized. Will you please -- let`s just do an exercise. Report that guy now. Brian, don`t you think she should? Just in case he`s out there still doing his thing.

CLAYPOOL: Just to validate for you, Ashley, we`ve had a couple young adults in their early 20s that have come forward and contacted my office to ask that same question. Can we still report Mr. Berndt for something that happened 15 years ago? Absolutely do it, Ashley. It`s going to help you feel better and help you work through this.

And also, you will then know that you will stop this individual from doing this to somebody else.

PINSKY: And remember, this is a new day. When Penn State has elevated this conversation to something that`s being broadcast throughout the country, I think people know to take this stuff seriously, finally. Thank you, Ashley.

We`re going to talk to a father whose son was also allegedly abused at Miramonte Elementary School and your calls. That`s next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PINSKY: We`ve been discussing an apparent code of silence at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles. Apparently, this allowed someone power to allegedly abuse students for a year on year (ph) basis. Now, we had a call, Ashley, a few minutes ago, it was a very intense call. And I want to put a little emphasis on this.

I used the word called frauderism, which is when people lean up against you, they kind of get off on that, and may say things inappropriate, may make you feel like they`re violating your body space, which they are. And we`ve had a lot of calls today, people asking, was this sexual abuse? Did somebody abuse me?

If you feel like it was sexual abuse, please report it. Do not sit in silence. Tell people, because the probability is, if you felt violated, you were not the only person that this person has violated. Brian, do you agree with me on this?

CLAYPOOL: Dr. Drew, absolutely. The law even says you report suspected child abuse. It doesn`t have to be actual.

PINSKY: That`s the point.

CLAYPOOL: Suspected.

PINSKY: Yes. And this is the part that killed me about the whole Penn State thing. We, as physicians, know that if we even have hear say the possibility, we hand it off to an investigating organization.

CLAYPOOL: Absolutely. You know what offended me about the Penn State was when that lawyers came out and said we -- these allegations were vague. We didn`t know they were --

PINSKY: It doesn`t matter.

CLAYPOOL: It doesn`t matter. If you suspect it, you`ve got to call it in.

PINSKY: Now, Jacqueline, I understand there`s some other legal action being taken at Miramonte right now? Tell me about that.

HURTADO: Yes. On Tuesday, law firm presented a second lawsuit against the school district and two principals that were at Miramonte, and what this new lawsuit claims is not the children are involved in this one but the parents.

On behalf of the parents, this lawsuit is being filed saying that the children that were victimized or alleged victims of this case, their families, are being affected psychologically. So, there`s a new law -- a new lawsuit that`s been presented on behalf of the parents of 14 children.
PINSKY: And you have told me, the parents did feel somewhat terrorized by all of this for fear that they were going to be deported, fear -- all kinds of fears that, you know, maybe we don`t always think about, but these people, these families are feeling.

HURTADO: Yes. And when I spoke to some of these parents, they say they just didn`t know what to do. I guess, it just took them by surprise, everything that was going on. One of the parents that I interviewed said that they looked up to Mark Berndt like someone important.

Whatever he said, they would do it if he said that their children needed to study hard or they needed to be disciplined a certain way, they would have probably taken his advice because he`s a teacher.

PINSKY: OK. Well, speaking of parents and how they respond, on the phone is Paul. This is not his real name. He is the father of Alex who says that he had been victimized at Miramonte. Paul, if could you tell us what Alex alleges his teacher did to him.

VOICE OF "PAUL," SON ALLEGEDLY ABUSED BY TEACHER: Hi, Dr. Drew. Thank you for allowing me to be on your show again.

PINSKY: Yes, Paul.

"PAUL": (INAUDIBLE) he never told me nothing. The fact of being blind fold and putting this stuff in his mouth, you know, is kind of horrific for him to live through, you know?

PINSKY: And Paul, how is your son, Alex, doing now?

"PAUL": He`s doing great, doctor. He`s doing great. He`s in high school now. He knows everything is a struggle. We try not to talk about this, but we`re there for him. He already talks about it, but come on, it`s on the news every other day. You know, there`s (inaudible) reacting over all this.

Teachers that are arriving with all this problems, you know? Me, my personal opinion, they`re doing a lousy job because if they would have done the right thing since decades ago, then all these allegations after Mr. Berndt (INAUDIBLE) all these new teachers are coming out. I mean, what`s going on, you know, the LAUSD should focus on getting to the bottom of this. When are they going to put a stop to all this?

PINSKY: Paul, I`m going to interrupt you for a second. Brian, you wanted to comment on this.

CLAYPOOL: Yes. Well, two things. First of all, Alex is also in counseling. We`ve made sure that he`s got counseling. He`s regularly going to counseling. And another -- in order to try to stop this from happening, I think Penn State is a gift to us today.

PINSKY: Yes.

CLAYPOOL: Looking at in a positive light. It`s a blueprint for us in the future to try to make positive monumental change.

PINSKY: Yes.

CLAYPOOL: The only way we`re going to do that, though, I really believe this is, we really have to start prosecuting top officials, like at Penn State, for what`s called criminal conspiracy to commit child endangerment.

When you start sending a message to top executives at the Los Angeles Unified School District, at Penn State, or this could be happening at any other school across the country, you start sending a message that there are repercussions for your failure to stop known child abuse on your territory and you`re going to -- then you`re going to pay the price.

PINSKY: Do we need to bring administrators in from all across the land and help them understand what their obligations are, reporting obligations and that sort of thing? I don`t think anybody does that.

CLAYPOOL: You know what, that`s where I think you and I differ. I know you`re trying to see this in a positive light. I just -- I don`t buy it. I really think --

PINSKY: You think they do know? I don`t know that they know. If they do, fantastic. I hope they do.

CLAYPOOL: Consciously, no. They`re taught, they`re trained, they`re mandated orders.

PINSKY: Fair enough. If you say so. Jacqueline, thank you for reporting, and we`ll keep checking in with you on how that community is doing. Brian, as always, I appreciate you coming here and telling us about that -- particularly about that FBI story. It`s something we`ll stay on top of.

CLAYPOOL: Thank you, Dr. Drew.
 ::snipping2::


Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 »   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Use of this web site in any manner signifies unconditional acceptance, without exception, of our terms of use.
Powered by SMF 1.1.13 | SMF © 2006-2011, Simple Machines LLC
 
Page created in 6.152 seconds with 21 queries.