Tarzana Middle School Teacher Gets 5 Years Probation After Pleading Guilty To Molesting Students
TARZANA (CBSLA.com) — A Tarzana middle school teacher has been sentenced to five years probation after admitting Wednesday to having inappropriate contact with students.
Jason Leon, 32, was arrested February 4 on suspicion of molesting three female students at Gaspar Portola Middle School.
He pleaded guilty to one count each of misdemeanor battery, misdemeanor child abuse causing mental suffering and luring of a minor under 14, according to the City Attorney's Office.
Leon must forfeit his teaching credential and has been ordered to have no unsupervised contact with minor girls and to stay away from all elementary, middle and high schools during his probation.
Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Christine Ewell also said Leon will be required to enter outpatient alcohol treatment for one year, spend 60 days on a Caltrans road crew, attend 52 sessions of individual therapy and write apology letters to the parents of his victims to meet the terms set forth by the court.
Leon will face 18 months in jail if he violates the orders.
A court hearing is scheduled for July 11, when Leon will be required to show proof of compliance.
Leon's case unfurled after a 13-year-old student at Gaspar Portola Middle School reported that he had touched her inappropriately. Three days later, another girl, also 13, reported that Leon had engaged in similar behavior that same day.
A third girl claimed she was abused by Leon several times in 2010, when she was 14 years old.
District officials said Leon was immediately moved from the Portola campus as soon as the allegations of misconduct surfaced.
He had been a teacher in L.A. Unified since 2004.
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