May 13, 2008 9:31 am US/Pacific
More Problems For The LAUSD, Superintendent Brewer
2 Teachers Back At Work After Allegedly Failing To Report Sex Abuse Claims
LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David L. Brewer is being criticized for sending two high school administrators back to work after they were criminally charged with failing to report a student's sexual abuse claims.
David Demerjian, head of the Los Angeles district attorney's Public Integrity Division, told the Los Angeles Times that it's "very unusual" for public officials accused of a crime to be allowed to return to their jobs.
"We prosecute a lot of public employees, and they are usually placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the trial," he said.
Jesus Angulo, principal of South East High School in South Gate, and Maria Sotomayor, an assistant principal at the school, were charged May 1 with failing to report child abuse allegations by a girl who alleges substitute teacher Jesus Salvador Saenz had sex with her.
As district employees, they are required by state law and district policy to report any suspicion of child abuse.
The LAUSD is also being criticized for allowing former Foshay Learning Center assistant principal Steve Rooney, who was suspected of having sexual contact with a student, to be transferred to Markham Middle School in Watts, where he allegedly molested two students. Rooney has been charged with molesting three students altogether.
Brewer defended the decision to return Angulo and Sotomayor to work. He told The Times they were needed back on campus because of state academic testing and graduation.
Brewer also told The Times he suspended the officials for three days without pay and that they would be subject to additional discipline if convicted.
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