Story Published:
Dec 23, 2009 at 11:12 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Dec 30, 2009 at 8:21 PM PDT
LYNWOOD — The county Sheriff’s Department has discontinued its investigation on a Firebaugh High School teacher who was placed on administrative leave with pay by the Lynwood Unified School District last month, acting Superintendent Patrick Leier said in a statement this week.
“Therefore legal charges will not be forthcoming from the district attorney’s office on the matter,” Leier said. “We are, however, continuing our investigation and when concluded will take appropriate action, if any, as necessary.”
The decision to put the teacher, whose name is being kept confidential, was made by Leier and the assistant superintendent of personnel pending the outcome of the investigation by the Sheriff’s Department.
The allegations were not sufficient to be considered criminal acts, Leier said, but the standards for a school district are higher, especially in cases where students are involved.
“While we live in a society, a time and place where the lines of what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior have become less clear, without question a higher standard of conduct is expected where persons in charge of students are concerned,” Leier said. “Lynwood Unified School District will not tolerate anything less than professional, ethical and appropriate behavior by its employees in regards to our students.”
In an interview with The Wave earlier this month, Lt. Michael Rosson said that the Sheriff’s Department was looking into a report of misconduct by an individual in the school district.
The investigation would be thorough and complete, said Rosson.
Because it was still under investigation, Rosson said he could not comment on the matter, but said he could say that the investigation of misconduct was being “conducted on a teacher from” Firebaugh.
When asked for a comment on the matter last week, school board member Alfonso Morales declined.
Board member Rachel Chavez said she is glad the allegations weren’t serious enough for the district attorney to get involved or criminal charges to be filed, but said the school district has always had and will always have zero tolerance when it comes to professional misconduct, especially if it involves students.
The fate of the teacher remains up in the air, because it is still a personnel matter, Chavez said, but as far as she knows, the teacher is still on administrative leave with pay.
If more information were to come forward or be revealed in the future about the individual, both the Sheriff’s Department and the school district promise that no time will be wasted in handling the situation in a different way.
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