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Third Miramonte Teacher Implicated in Sexual Abuse Scandal
Image via Miramonte Elementary
In the wake of the news that Miramonte Elementary School in South Los Angeles will be replacing its entire staff after two teachers were accused of sexually abusing students comes another allegation that a third teacher aided and abetted the crimes, reports KTLA.
Brian Claypool, a lawyer for five of the alleged victims, told KTLA today that a female teacher has been implicated for possibly helping former teacher Mark Berndt, 61, perform bondage acts on the children. The teacher in question, he said, oversaw a classroom that shared a door with Berndt's classroom.
"The way Berndt pulled this off is he'd come into her class in the middle of the day, he'd go up to her and whisper in her ear," Claypool said. "Then she would go pull out two little girls, and she'd walk the little girls right through the common door into Mr. Berndt's dungeon."
The teacher's name hasn't been released.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
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Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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