LAUSD Superintendent Defends Handling Of Teacher Sex Scandals
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Parents of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District expressed anger Friday when it was discovered that some teachers were arrested months ago in the alleged sexual abuse of their children.
Superintendent John Deasy insisted that the LAUSD was following police orders in not discussing alleged sex abuse as soon as they heard of the allegations.
CBS2 reporter Dave Lopez asked Deasy during a press conference Friday whether the district's silence was really part of a cover-up.
"First of all, things are not kept quiet," said Deasy, adding, "The public doesn't know when there's a police investigation. We follow the orders of the police. When the police pull you over I suspect you stop because they tell you to do something. When the police tell us how we're to handle something we follow their directives."
Deasy said disclosing any information could have potentially compromised any ongoing investigation.
Lopez repeated many parents' sentiments feeling they have a right to know what is going on at their own children's school.
"The police would say you don't have a right to know -- what you have a right to is safety, and that's why we removed the person immediately," Deasy said.
Deasy continued, "I wish the system worked better so that an investigation can take place, there's no worry about the investigation being contaminated, so that, eventually, someone who's done something greatly wrong ends up behind bars and not back in my employment. And parents could have the information they desire. I wish we could have it both ways."
Lopez pressed Deasy on whether there were other investigations into teachers not yet mentioned: "Are there more fireworks to come?"
"So that means I would be violating the very thing I just explained to you. Why would you ask such a question?" Deasy retorted. "That would be discussing a case -- I mean, come on."
Apparently, when the police say 'Don't Talk', the school district listens.
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