Story Published:
Dec 10, 2009 at 12:28 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Dec 10, 2009 at 12:28 PM PDT
LYNWOOD — Two of the Lynwood Unified School District’s highest ranking administrators have officially put a teacher from Firebaugh High School on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of an investigation being conducted by both the district and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The decision was made under the authority of the acting Superintendent Patrick Leier and the assistant superintendent of personnel. The duty of placing an individual on administrative leave is usually left up to the school board.
So far the individual, who is said to be a teacher at Firebaugh, has been on administrative leave with pay for three days.
In a brief interview on Monday afternoon, Leier said that he could not disclose the types of allegations being made against the individual, but said the Sheriff’s Department is involved in the investigation as well.
Leier said that because it is a personnel matter, he could not disclose further details about the investigation. “Anything like that, we have to protect the rights of the employee as well,” Leier said.
Nevertheless, the school district, Leier said, is anticipating concluding the administrative investigation “sometime” Tuesday.
The acting superintendent also said that the allegations being investigated are not specifically coming from students in the district, Leier said.
“Everybody’s rights are at stake here,” he said. “We have to be careful and thorough … and that’s what we’re doing.”
Just as a reminder, Leier said, “Any person can make an allegation … but that in no way is an indictment. … We have an obligation to follow through with things … and that’s what we’re doing.”
Calls to Lt. Michael Rosson of the Century Sheriff’s Station were not returned.
If the investigation is concluded on Tuesday, the matter will be added to the school board’s agenda Tuesday night.
Incumbents Rachel Chavez and Alfonso Morales, re-elected to the school board in the Nov. 3 election, are scheduled to be sworn-in during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting, which starts at 6 p.m.
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