Tuesday, January 29, 2013

FORMER STATE SENATOR MARTHA ESCUTIA CALLS FOR LAUSD PROBE INTO PERCEIVED PATTERN OF TEACHER ABUSE OF LATINO YOUTH

Escutia, who has an LA school named for her, is an attorney representing kids in Miramonte case. "We wouldn't even be here having this press conference if LAUSD would speak up," she said. "Their silence has frankly been deafening."

By Rob Kuznia The Daily Breeze/lA  Daily News | http://bit.ly/YeSLC7

<<Former state Senator Martha Escutia, an attorney and child sex abuse survivors advocate, calls for an immediate investigation into what she believes is a pattern of alleged sexual abuse perpetrated against students by teachers and other employees at schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District at a press conference in front of George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School in Wilmington.

01/29/2013 05:30:47 AM PST  ::  In the wake of yet another sex abuse arrest in the Los Angeles Unified School District, former state Sen. Martha Escutia came to a Wilmington elementary school Monday to call for an LAUSD investigation into what she believes is a pattern of such abuse against Latino youth by teachers in low-income areas.

Escutia, an attorney who serves on the legal team representing more than 30 children allegedly abused by teachers at Miramonte Elementary School in South Los Angeles, blasted the district for refusing to turn over documents pertaining to 600 complaints about teacher misconduct.

She likened the LAUSD's reaction to the abuse cases to that of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which kept its sensitive documents sealed until ordered by a judge to release them.

Former state Senator Martha Escutia, an attorney and child sex abuse survivors advocate, is calling for an immediate investigation into what she believes is a pattern of alleged sexual abuse perpetrated against students by teachers and other employees at schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District. Escutia gives a press conference in front of George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School in Wilmington on Monday morning, January 28, 2013. >>

"I don't think LAUSD wants to become the next Archdiocese of Los Angeles," she said.

Escutia's comments come several days after law enforcement officials announced the arrest of former LAUSD teacher Robert Pimentel on charges he sexually abused at least 20 children at George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School in Wilmington, where Escutia held her press conference.

In that case, the school's principal at the time took no action when similar allegations were leveled against the same teacher at another school, according to LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy. Pimentel and the principal, Irene Hinojosa, both retired on the same day as Deasy was moving to fire them, he told the Los Angeles News Group, which includes the Daily Breeze.

Despite Deasy's comments on the latest case, Escutia accused LAUSD officials of being generally tight-lipped on the matter.

"We wouldn't even be here having this press conference if LAUSD would speak up," she said. "Their silence has frankly been deafening."

LAUSD responded to her complaints with a statement Monday detailing the efforts it has made to crack down on abusive teachers since the Miramonte scandal erupted nearly

<< Former state Senator Martha Escutia, an attorney and child sex abuse survivors advocate, speaks at a press conference in front of George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School in Wilmington on Monday morning, January 28, 2013.

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