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LAUSD To Remove Entire Staff At Miramonte Elementary School

Christine Detz |
February 6, 2012 | 7:50 p.m. PST

Executive Producer

Entire school staff to be replaced amid sex abuse investigation (Photo courtesy Los Angeles Unified School District)
Entire school staff to be replaced amid sex abuse investigation (Photo courtesy Los Angeles Unified School District)
The Los Angeles Times reported Monday night that the Los Angeles Unified School District will remove the entire staff at Miramonte Elementary School while the LAUSD investigates allegations of sexual abuse.  The news comes after two teachers were arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct.

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy reportedly made the unprecedented move in an effort to “build confidence.” 

 

Mark Berndt, 61, was charged with 23 counts of lewd acts on a child resulting from his alleged blindfolding of students and feeding them semen.  Berndt also reportedly took photos of the acts.  A second Miramonte teacher, 49-year-old Martin Bernard Springer,  was charged with fondling two children.

 

The Los Angeles Times has more on the district’s decision:

 

“The displacement could be temporary: Many, maybe all, of the current staff will be returned to the school eventually, officials said. In the interim, their places will be filled by qualified teachers and other workers already on a placement or rehiring list. There are plenty of available candidates: Over the last several years, thousands of instructors and other non-teaching staff were laid off because of budget cuts; the vast majority are considered fully qualified employees who lost work simply because they lacked sufficient seniority.

The displaced staff will continue to be paid and also will receive counseling for a series of events that also traumatized the Miramonte staff, officials said.”

 

LAUSD officials met with parents Monday night but the meeting was closed to the media.  The school will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

 



 

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