LAUSD To Expedite Teacher Sexual Misconduct Probes
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Hundreds of abuse allegations against Los Angeles Unified School District teachers have prompted a change in policy to speed up investigations.
The LAUSD School Board voted Tuesday to give the district increased powers to expedite the probes and hand out disciplinary measures against more than 270 problem teachers and district employees accused of serious sexual misconduct or physical abuse.
Under the plan, the district is allowed to hire professional investigators to accelerate the process.
"Hopefully they will be able to get investigations done quicker so we know if it's a teacher who we know we're going to move towards firing or this is a teacher who can be moved back into the classroom," LAUSD School Board member Tamar Falatzan told KNX1070 NEWSRADIO.
LAUSD To Expedite Teacher Probes
Other changes include informing educators as to why they were pulled out of class, as long as the information doesn't compromise a police investigation.
"In many of the issues of the delays are not because of the investigation. It's because we do not do a cross investigation when there is a criminal investigation," LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy told KNX1070.
LAUSD's Deasy Speaks Out
The 2012 sex-abuse scandals at Miramonte and Telfair elementary school prompted in a spike of abuse complaints against LAUSD employees.
Under the current system, the accused are placed in "teacher jail" where the district pays their salaries, even though they're not in the classroom and the focus of a criminal investigation.
Approximately 150 teachers are already waiting dismissal as the result of their misconduct.
