Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LAUSD molestations: Parents react to charges against teacher at George De La Torre Jr. Elementary
Listen
Oscar Esquivel waits for a meeting outside George De La Torre Jr. Elementary, where his daughter is in kindergarten
()
Rosa Zarate's daughter is a fifth grader at George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School.
()
Parents reacted with shock and concern Thursday morning at a meeting at George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School in Wilmington a day after a former veteran teacher was charged with sexually abusing 20 children and one adult.
Arriving in the driving rain Thursday morning, parent Oscar Esquivel called the situation “a tragedy” after he dropped off his daughter, who’s in kindergarten at the school.
“When you take the kids to school, we think they’re in a safe place. Right? And that’s not true,” Esquivel said. “So whose fault is this? The school? The parents? Or the system? And what else can we do?”
Pimentel pleaded not guilt to charges of sexually abusing 20 children and one adult. He retired last March after allegations surfaced. L.A. Unified School District officials removed the school's principal in March, after they learned about the allegations.
Support for LAist comes from
RELATED: New details about Los Angeles Unified teacher accused of sexually abusing 20 students
The L.A. Unified School District invited Esquivel and other parents to a meeting at the school Thursdayto talk about events surrounding the alleged abuse.
Rosa Zarate, mother of a fifth grader at De La Torre, said she was very surprised when she learned about the allegations. She said that Pimentel never taught her daughter’s class — but that he did help her out sometimes with reading and math. Zarate said it’s been tough discussing the situation with her daughter.
“I asked her not to get too friendly with the teachers at all, … especially the males,” Zarate said. That’s a big change from when she was a young student. Zarate said that when she was younger, she'd been close with a lot of her teachers. “But right now, it’s kind of weird.”
Later in the morning, Attorney Luis Carillo arrived to speak to reporters. Carillo represents students who are alleged victims of sexual abuse at Miramonte Elementary School. He said the Pimentel case at De La Torre Elementary is another indication that the school district isn’t doing enough to protect students.
“The reason that certain perverts continue to do these things is because they know that the school district is asleep,” Carillo said. He wants L.A. Unified to establish an independent monitor for student safety, and a hotline to field reports of sexual abuse.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist