GUILTY CA - Teacher Mark Berndt charged with molesting 23 children

[Belinda]

A tad bit of overreaction, possibly?? It's going to be mighty hard to stay one step ahead of pedophiles who are nothing but "creative".


http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/lewd-conduct-teacher-prompts-lesson-bans-15832770#.T1Dkz2CJkjQ

Lewd Conduct by 1 Teacher Prompts Lesson Bans
March 2, 2012

"The Los Angeles Unified School District says fourth grade students will no longer be blindfolded for lessons about how to use the senses. And making butter at one school has been banned. The bans follow the arrest of Miramonte Elementary teacher Mark Berndt, who has pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of lewd conduct for allegedly photographing students who were blindfolded as he spoon-fed them his semen...."

More at link


More details here:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-blindfold-20120302,0,5609684.story

I don't feel it is an overreaction. Since the students were assaulted while blindfolded, I think students need to not be blindfolded. It will not prevent all molestation, but nothing can be done without the student being able to see it.

 

[katydid23]

I feel so bad for all of the parents. I can only imagine their fear at the idea of sending their children back to that school. I don't think I could do it. They may not have an option. I can't begin to imagine the anxiety they have about the safety of their children. Everyday, more distressing news comes out and the school is starting to look like a haven for predators. And these people are expected to send their children back?

I think that particular school is going to be a very safe school right now. The new principal, Dolores Palacio, was brought out of retirement to take over the sinking ship. She was my old boss at another LAUSD elementary school.

I posted back at the beginning of this thread about how surprised I was that a teacher was able to get away with this amount of sick crimes. And I said that because at the school where I worked it would NEVER have happened. Our principal had several regulations and rules in place that prevented any thing like that from happening. Parents were allowed to come onto the campus and visit their kids classroom without telling the teacher first. They did need to sign in at the office however. BUt once given a badge at he office they could go into the classroom and observe quietly or help the teacher if need be.
Teachers kept their classroom doors open and also expected others to walk in and out all day long. And they NEVER were alone with students after school, like this perp was. If a student wanted to talk to a teacher alone then they would meet alone at a table outside at the courtyard. But that was for the teachers protection as well. They knew better than to be alone behind closed doors with students, as the student could then make up any story.
There were after school enrichment classes, and a after school childcare ---but teachers were not allowed to have those kids in their rooms alone.

These parents are going to LOVE their new principal.

 

[katydid23]

A tad bit of overreaction, possibly?? It's going to be mighty hard to stay one step ahead of pedophiles who are nothing but "creative".


http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/lewd-conduct-teacher-prompts-lesson-bans-15832770#.T1Dkz2CJkjQ

Lewd Conduct by 1 Teacher Prompts Lesson Bans
March 2, 2012

"The Los Angeles Unified School District says fourth grade students will no longer be blindfolded for lessons about how to use the senses. And making butter at one school has been banned. The bans follow the arrest of Miramonte Elementary teacher Mark Berndt, who has pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of lewd conduct for allegedly photographing students who were blindfolded as he spoon-fed them his semen...."

More at link


More details here:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-blindfold-20120302,0,5609684.story

I think it is an overreaction. The 'sense' experiments are awesome and are done with all of the other kids and with teachers and other adults in attendance. There is NO reason to believe they are going to assault a student. imo

The district allowed this sick creep to be alone with kids in his room after school everyday. THAT is what needs to be outlawed----not making butter or doing blindfolded sensory exercises. imo

 

[Missizzy]

I'm just afraid that next we'll see cookies banned from schools due to one horrid man's actions.

Thanks so much Katydid for your insight about the new principal.

 

[Missizzy]

Have we read that Berndt "hosted" children from the after-school program? Yikes!! That just might be how he accessed six year old victims. He had quite the system for procurement, didn't he?


http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012...e-claims-announced-against-miramonte-teacher/

20 Civil Sex Abuse Claims Announced Against Miramonte Teacher
March 2, 2012

"Attorneys for 20 alleged sexual abuse victims announced the filing of civil lawsuits Friday against a former Miramonte Elementary School teacher and the Los Angeles Unified School District. The claims were filed by 18 girls and two boys that were either students of Mark Berndt’s or participants of Miramonte Elementary after-school program who were taken to his class. Attorneys allege all 20 plaintiffs were allegedly abused by Berndt; six of the accusers are also a part of an ongoing criminal complaint against him...."

and

"...Attorneys also contend the LAUSD was negligent and overlooked complaints from parents and warning signs that he was abusive...."

More at link

 

[Belinda]

I'm just afraid that next we'll see cookies banned from schools due to one horrid man's actions.

Thanks so much Katydid for your insight about the new principal.

I understand what you are saying, but this is not the first time blindfolds have been used to molest children in a school setting. How about the banana guy? I just think blindfolding children is a bad idea.

 

[x_files]

A tad bit of overreaction, possibly?? It's going to be mighty hard to stay one step ahead of pedophiles who are nothing but "creative".


http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/lewd-conduct-teacher-prompts-lesson-bans-15832770#.T1Dkz2CJkjQ

Lewd Conduct by 1 Teacher Prompts Lesson Bans
March 2, 2012

"The Los Angeles Unified School District says fourth grade students will no longer be blindfolded for lessons about how to use the senses. And making butter at one school has been banned. The bans follow the arrest of Miramonte Elementary teacher Mark Berndt, who has pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of lewd conduct for allegedly photographing students who were blindfolded as he spoon-fed them his semen...."

More at link


More details here:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-blindfold-20120302,0,5609684.story

No child needs to be blind folded to learn about senses, this is extremely bizarre. I never heard of any lesson about senses like that before this story broke.

 

[Missizzy]

Yet another agency was not doing their job. Backlogged with over 12,000 cases?? How are districts AND parents to know who's been fired or investigated for worrisome reports?

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012...-says-lausd-failed-to-report-miramonte-abuse/

Teacher Credentialing Commission: LAUSD Failed To Report Miramonte Abuse

 

[katydid23]

No child needs to be blind folded to learn about senses, this is extremely bizarre. I never heard of any lesson about senses like that before this story broke.

Our 4th grade classes did a regular learning segment on senses and also on disabilities. The kids took turns being blindfolded and then having their ears covered so they couldn't hear anything ----and then they tried different routine
tasks to see how much they rely upon certain senses.

The kids loved it every year. And nobody blindfolds a kid and is then alone with them at any time/ Once a kid is blindfolded , the entire class is watching them try to do the specific task. We also had kids in the school who were sight impaired, and they loved showing that they could do these tasks without sight very well, unlike the other students who pretty much failed when trying to put on their jacket and zip it or put a straw in their milk carton. It was a fun time and I really hate that the entire district has to stop teaching that curriculum because of of one scumbagg.

 

[SuziQ]

Los Angeles school fires ENTIRE staff after teachers 'sexually abused students and fed them semen'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...abuse-allegations-teachers.html#ixzz2095C2fvv

 

[tlcya]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/1...laims-involving-teacher-accused-lewd-tasting/

The Los Angeles school district will pay millions of dollars to settle claims and lawsuits filed by students and families from an elementary school where a third-grade teacher was accused of spoon-feeding children semen in what he called "tasting games," lawyers in the cases said Tuesday.

District officials did not reveal the total amount of the settlement, but attorney Raymond Boucher, who represents several Miramonte Elementary School students, said each claimant will receive $470,000.

 

[Rayemonde]

Mark Berndt entered the legal equivalent of guilty pleas to 23 counts of committing lewd acts on children. Under a plea deal, the former teacher at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles was immediately sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Superior Court Judge George Lomeli said it was the equivalent of a life sentence for the 62-year-old defendant.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4279328