LAUSD Shuts Down Miramonte Elementary To Replace Entire Staff Following Teacher Arrests
Miramonte Elementary School will close its doors Tuesday and Wednesday to allow the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to replace the entire staff. The decision comes on the heels of two recent Miramonte Elementary teacher arrests for allegations of lewd acts against students.
LAUSD Superintendent Dr. John E. Deasy announced the clearing house decision during Monday night's meeting with parents of Miramonte Elementary students, who rallied and protested at the school Monday morning, as well as prohibited their children from attending school. Deasy wrote in a letter to all LAUSD employees that members of the school board "are all outraged at the alleged acts committed against innocent children at Miramonte Elementary School and any other Los Angeles Unified School District campus." As a result, Deasy is taking action "to stabilize the learning environment and offer immediate and on-going support." Five points of action are outlined in the letter as follows:
• Provide a new learning environment through the end of the school year by bringing in a pre-screened group of teachers and counselors. Every class will be taught by a 2-person team made up of an instructor and counselor to help students remain focused on learning and also offer immediate and on-going support.• Offer counseling services to every single child, present and past, and their families who request it.
• Because the instructional and emotional burden placed on Miramonte staff over the last week has been immense, we will relocate the current staff in order to both have the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive review of what happened at Miramonte and provide support services.
• We will interview every former Miramonte student and staff member.
• Furthermore, there will be an Independent Commission led by retired California Supreme
Court Chief Justice Carlos Moreno surrounding the events that occurred at Miramonte Elementary School. We will ask them to review our processes and provide recommendations so that every LAUSD school can learn from this experience.
Relocated Miramonte Elementary employees include administrators, teachers, secretaries and custodians. The displaced staff will continue to receive pay and will undergo counseling. The majority of or possibly the entire staff is expected to eventually return to the school.
Both men accused of committing sex crimes against children are in custody. Mark Berndt, a 61-year-old former teacher at the school, was arrested last Monday and charged with committing lewd acts involving 23 boys and girls. Martin Bernard Springer, 49, was arrested Friday morning and booked on suspicion of committing lewd acts upon two 7-year-old girls in the last few years. Springer has yet to be charged but is expected to appear in court Tuesday. Deasy will ask the school board to fire Springer today.
City News Service says United Teachers Los Angeles, the union representing district teachers, is not objecting to the shake-up and is "committed to doing everything we can to support the Miramonte community," per a union statement.
