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Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.
May 05, 2008
Two LAUSD Administrators Charged for Failure to Report Child Abuse
LOS ANGELES – Charges have been filed against the principal and assistant principal of a South Gate high school who allegedly knew about a sexual encounter between a student and a teacher but failed to report the information as required by law and Los Angeles Unified School District policy.
Deputy District Attorney Juliet Schmidt of the Public Integrity Division said Jesus I. Angulo, 35 (dob 9/27/72), principal of South East High School, and Maria Sotomayor, 36, assistant principal, are charged in case No. 8CA03401 with one misdemeanor count each of failure to report child abuse. Arraignment for the defendants, who appeared in court today, was continued to May 27 at Los Angeles Superior Court, Division 40.
The complaint alleges that the two willfully and unlawfully failed to make a report as required by law when, in their professional capacity and within the scope of their employment, they learned that a student had been the victim of child abuse.
The charges against Angulo and Sotomayor, both of Downey, stem from an incident in March 2007 when Jesus Salvador Saenz, 30 (dob 7/22/77), a substitute teacher, allegedly had sex with a female student. Saenz, charged in case No. TA095986, faces one felony count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
Prosecutors allege that Angulo and Sotomayor learned of the offense seven months later, but failed to report the information as required by law. Saenz subsequently was dismissed from LAUSD, according to Victor Abalos, acting chief of external affairs.
He added that LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer III has ordered an internal investigation to see if district policies were violated and also has ordered that all administrators receive additional training regarding issues of child abuse reporting.
If convicted as charged, Angulo and Sotomayor face a maximum sentence of six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.
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