Second teacher at Miramonte Elementary charged LOS ANGELES, CA (BDCi) – – A second teacher at the Los Angeles Unified elementary school where Mark Berndt is charged with gagging, blindfolding and feeding semen to unsuspecting students was arrested Friday. The teacher was removed from Miramonte Elementary School in South L.A. on Thursday after district officials learned of abuse allegations and informed the L.A. County sheriff’s special victims unit. Sheriff’s officials said the sex crimes unit immediately began an investigation into the male teacher after being informed of the allegations. No further details were released by the Sheriff’s Department. The new arrest is unrelated to Berndt, a veteran teacher at the school who was arrested and charged with acts of lewd conduct involving 23 students earlier this week. But news of Berndt’s charges spurred an alleged victim to report to authorities an allegation against the second Miramonte teacher. District officials say the moment they learned of the accusation against the second educator, they removed him from the campus and prevented contacts with students. “A new allegation came to our attention [Thursday], and we referred the allegation to the sheriff,” said Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. John Deasy. “We removed the teacher from the classroom and the matter is being investigated, like when any matter comes to our attention. “There is no determination from the authorities, and the person could be completely innocent.”
He said Friday morning that the teacher was “housed,” meaning reassigned to a site where there are no students, typically a district office.
Source: Los Angeles Times Photo courtesy of: CBS News 3 February 2012
2:46p.m. P.S.T.