Miramonte School Parents Fight Back! Staff Replaced

Los Angeles Unified School District replaced all staff, including teachers and custodians, at Miramonte Elementary School this week after a second teacher was charged with lewd acts on a student. The school district fired Martin Springer a few hours after he was formally charged with three felony counts with a girl under the age of 14. This comes a week after a former teacher at the same elementary school was arrested and accused of taking sexually disturbing photos of students in his classroom. He is charged with 23 counts of lewd acts on a child.

What is wrong with these people?

As a parent, it is devastating to hear of stories like this where children are taken advantage of and used by those that hold authority over them. Although I understand the school district does not want any more “surprises” and has replaced the staff at this elementary school, the real issue here is why this kind of behavior has been going on for so long. Were these teachers given background checks like many other schools now require?  What kind of review process happens with the teachers once they are hired? Is there any kind of monitoring system while teachers are alone with students in their classrooms?

These teachers should be held responsible for their actions, but parents should also hold administrators responsible for these atrocities, too. The teachers reported to an administration staff, which should have been monitoring the type of teachers allowed into the school, and what kind of actions they were taking with students, AT LEAST on school premises.

In an unrelated case a high school within this SAME school district, another teacher was fired after allegations of sexual misconduct with a student. At this point, it appears that more than just one school has issues to deal with regarding appropriate behaviors with minors. To me, as this continuing story unravels, this is much more than a few bad teachers. Regulations weren’t followed, rules were bent, a blind-eye was turned, to allow these monsters to prey on innocent children.

Do you think replacing the staff at this elementary school will fix the problem? What would you do as a parent if this happened at your school?

See what John Walsh has to say on this subject - and don't miss America's Most Wanted Friday's at 9pm/8c on Lifetime!