Today was the court arraignment of Alonso Manuel Gonzalez, a special education instructional assistant who has been arrested and charged with lewd acts against one of Saddleback High School’s special needs students. Absent from reporting this news are the local newspapers, The Orange County Register and The Los Angeles Times, Orange County edition. Since Gonzalez arrest on November 17, 2008, the Saddleback High School’s administrators have refused to notify parents of these vulnerable students in either Spanish or English. It is now day 29 of silence by the school site, the special education department and the superintendent’s office. However, Gustavo Arellano of the OC Weekly has posted on the story as a way to warn Saddleback students, families and other potential crime victims. He reports on today’s court appearance in which the judge has required Gonzalez to stay away from the victim. Judge Leininger has also issued a protective order for discovery and has forbid Gonzalez from entering any school campus for three years. See the full story here Link.
Will Saddleback High School personnel cooperate in the discovery process set fourth by the judge or will the administrators continue to stonewall the process, clearly in violation of ADA regulations? How many more days until the notification process is set in motion? It is now Day 29 for the dirty little secret.
Red,
That’s a valid idea, but the police should be doing that already. I used to investigate these cases myself and we would obtain this information from the facility and make the contacts ourselves; that way potential victims aren’t tainted by questioning from rightfully alarmed caregivers/parents who might inadvertently ask questions that can hurt a case…
I agree with Longboobs. These investigations are tricky and easily contaminated. SAPD has made several arrests over the years only to find the evidence and statements were unfounded based upon rumor and innuendo spread by rumors. The fact is the suspect is off campus and the police need to quietly interview possible victims and families without a lot of press.
Longboobs and Anon,
Great comments and insight.
I wonder how this situation would be handled in say, a preschool? From what I understand, many of these kids are just as dependent upon caregivers as preschoolers would be. Is there any kind of guideline about notifying caregivers in a situation like this?
You guys saying that no notification is to be expected in cases involving caregivers?
And from what I know, this guy has been at that site for 4 years and has been in controversy for 4 years. It must be a relief that those concerns are no longer present. Enough said in the rumor category!
The churn rate for teachers in those special needs rooms has been shocking. You have to ask yourself: What exactly is the commitment to special needs in this district?
It’s the same as a pre-schooler, Red. Interviewing of dependent people is as methodical and has to be undertaken really carefully so not to “lead.” The McMartin pre-school case was a classic example of rumors that lead to hysteria and parents contaminating the victims/witnesses.
Something that could be considered, though, is your comment the guy has been at the site and controversial for 4 years. All teachers, administrators, care providers are required, by law, to report suspected abuse, whether it’s a child, dependent adult or an elderly person. If there was a failure there, and there is a history this person was abusing others that went unaddressed, that is conduct that could yield both criminal and civil santions for anyone who was obligated to act, was aware of a “reportable” situation, and failed to make the proper report.
Longboobs and anon: SAUHSD has an obligation to let parents know that an arrest involving a school employee accused of molestation has happened. This publicizes the case and allows more victims to come forward, or alerts parents to the possibility that their children might be victims. McMartin does not apply to this case, since I don’t remember them actively changing their story like Saddleback already has.
Gustavo,
I agree with you but not to the degree that it compromises the investigation. That call is probably up to the investigators. Upon completion of interviews of known potential victims first, I would expect the PD to request public notification for any other potential leads. The logic here is that the suspect has been removed from the campus and no longer poses an immediate threat to other students.
I can understand your thinking. The district would like this to just go away but control of the investigation and public notification is really SAPD’s call.
Longboobs. I expect prior complaints were made but ignored or simply reported to school police which is not a police department authorized to conduct such an investigation. They, like other employees are only mandated reporters. This investigation may not only be about the victim(s), but about who knew and what they did or did not do. Time will tell.
Some of us called Detective Perez and alerted him to the ongoing problem at Saddleback.
I would think that Esther Jones and Evelyn Carrigg should be losing sleep over the upcoming investigation.
Those two have hired and protected employees who have abused and disrespected the disabled clients who they were supposed to protect.
This is the end of their reign of abuse and terror.
Hey, Evelyn enjoy the actual investigation of the real SAPD that is just starting. You are headed for prison for your efforts to conceal a predatory employee. May your enjoy your manufactured hell. No one will defend you. You will be on your own. Sweet dreams from now to your hell.
Some may notice that the above posts, including mine, were made nearly a month ago when Red first made public notice of the OC weekly story. That was then and this is now, virtually a month later. Their is no defense by SAUSD or SAPD for keeping this story out of the mainstream anymore nor notifying parents. The suspect has been charged and arraigned.
The other story at Valley High involving a teacher or teachers aid arrested for having sex with a student has also been kept quiet without notification to parents either as far as I know.
Something is incredibly wrong with this district and the SAPD when they fail to publically request other victims to step forward.
This story reminds me of another Saddleback incident that took place about 5 years ago. A student threatened to shoot a teacher on Good Friday. Administrators were aware of this alleged threat and took no action to inform faculty, staff, parents or students. One parent learned of this threat, called the district offices and told them that if the school was not going to provide protection for the students she would call Louis Farrakan and get his organization to provide protection.
Only when the district is forced against the wall with no where to go do they take action. There was school police presence that Good Fridayi, however the supt failed to inform Saddleback parents.
Anyone who has info on the Valley aide can contact me at GArellano@ocweekly.com. Anonymity guaranteed!
I have in the past become aware of the pressure school principals place on school employees and teachers to notify them if something is suspected and to NOT notify police. This means that if you notify police first you are treated differently and given less desirable assignments than your coworkers. If you notify the principal first you are breaking the law and will be thrown under the bus at the first opportunity to take the focus away from the principal.
Gustavo, please print the number and name of the person who is supposed to take these calls in Orange County, who is required to report, and what they are required to report. I guarantee you that administrators in Orange County have terrorized their staffs over this issue. No wonder that the abuse goes on for so long unreported.
Lets make reporting administrators who seek to interfere with this obligation guilty as if they were molesters themselves. They might as well be.
In my experience, it is very rare for a person to get arrested for lewd conduct with students. The police tend to do a good job of evaluating the situation. In this case of Alonso, the judge seems to think that he is a continual threat and he cannot even set foot on a campus for three years unless released by a judge.
I’ll tell you who I think the real criminals are: Esther Jones and Evelyn Carrigg. Both knew what this man was capable of doing and they hid him in different classrooms and intimidated other employees to keep quiet when he was inappropriate with the students. Everyone on that campus knew he was a menace – from the cafeteria staff, DSOs, custodians, teachers, assistants, parents and even visitors. There were complaints that he even harassed the Mac Arthur students coming home from school. He’d go stand out by his car that he parked right next to the sidewalk, and he would “change his shirt” right there in the parking lot while he eyed the junior high school students going home.
The enablers should be held accountable. Those are the ones that think they are so smart that they’ll be able to outwit the police and circumvent judges and prosecutors with their flimsy lies.
Anyone who is being contacted on personal or cell phone numbers by Esther Jones trying to be their “fiancial planner” should contact Juan Lopez immediately. Several staff have gotten unwanted and unexpected calls on their unlisted numbers supplied to Jones from the front office.
Jones was caught stealing money from an ASB account for the diabled students, her training and experience as a “financial planner” should be thoroughly questioned and any potential clients should really consider what a failed principal could offer in the way of help when she has an international reputation for educational fraud. Who in their right mind would want HER to have their Social Security number?