EXTRA!!! EXTRA!!!  EXTRA!!! THE PARAGON OF CORPORATE JOURNALISM, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES REPORTS:

LAUSD TO FIRE TEACHER WHO MAYBE, MIGHT HAVE DONE SOMETHING PERHAPS, KINDA  MAYBE, SORTA, WE HEARD, TO A VICTIM WHO HAS BEEN HANDSOMELY PAID by the LAUSD!!!!! 

VICTIM'S REFUSES TO TESTIFY, PARENTS TO RETURN MONEY PAID BY LAUSD IN SETTLEMENT!! (NOPE, SORRY WE AIN'T GIVING NUTTIN' BACK!!!)

Today we have this gripping story from the L.A. Times, a story maybe about a possible, supposed victim who, though paid handsomely for her story, will not testify and her parents who valiantly protect her from standing behind her accusations while vowing, "We ain't givin' no money back."
 

LAUSD will pursue firing of Miramonte teacher after charges dropped 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Howard Blume, Richard Winton and Alan Zarembo

February 5, 2014, 12:01 p.m.

The Los Angeles Unified School District said it would not reverse its decision to fire former Miramonte Elementary teacher Martin Springer after charges against him were dropped Wednesday, officials said.

L.A. County prosecutors cancelled Springer' s pending trial after the
teacher' s young accuser decided not to testify. Her family said the 12-year-old
was too traumatized, "so we are unable to proceed at this time," said Jane
Robison, a spokeswoman for the district attorney' s office.
But nothing has changed from the perspective of the nation's
second-largest school system, said Supt. John Deasy.

"The dismissal case will continue," Deasy told The Times. The schools
chief added he sympathized with the decision of the alleged victim. "I
understand the trauma a victim can experience. We will continue to support victims
and their families," he said.

Springer, 51, had pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of committing
a lewd act. He had faced up to 12 years in prison. His accuser claimed
Springer had touched her on the back of the leg on numerous occasions in a
manner that made her feel uncomfortable.

In pretrial legal filings, prosecutors described the contact as "minimal"
and wrote that there was no evidence Springer had threatened the girl.
Nonetheless, they pointed out, "some pedophiles are capable of limiting their
behavior as needed" and use "the most minimal touching to achieve sexual
gratification. "  NOTE: WTF?   Some reporters are capable of limiting their behavior as needed in order to get to the payday and reach the conclusion that the boss wants.  They use the most minimal misdirection, obfuscation, misrepresentation and innuendo to achieve a payday!!! I'm not saying that sexual gratification is involved but who knows.  

No other student was alleging personal harm in the criminal case.
There have been civil claims, however, from other former students as well
as from the girl who declined to testify. Three settlements, of $470,000
apiece, were paid out based on accusations against Springer alone. Let's assume that this child and her parents got this payday.  They probably are not dummies. They got the money, so why risk a sure thing?  Three others involved allegations against both Springer and ex-Miramonte teacher Mark Berndt who was at the center of what became a sensational abuse case.
Springer, who had been a third-grade teacher at Miramonte, came to the
attention of investigators as they questioned students about Berndt.
Authorities said they are aware of no evidence the two teachers collaborated in any wrongdoing.
District officials stand by settlements in the Springer case as
appropriate. "We had a very rigorous process for evaluating each of those claims,” said district spokesman Sean Rossall.  NOTE: Are you kidding?!!!

The current district action against Springer includes an effort to revoke
his teaching credential. Springer appealed the dismissal to a state
oversight panel. The case has been on hold pending the outcome of criminal
proceedings.  I HEREBY BET A NICKEL THAT THE TIMES WILL NOT REPORT WHEN THE CTC DISMISSES THE CHARGES AGAINST SPRINGER FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE.  ARE YOU LISTENING HOWARD BLUME?

The 2012 child-abuse scandal at the Miramonte campus, in the
Florence-Firestone area southeast of downtown, became the biggest and costliest yet for Los Angeles Unified. So far, the school system has paid $30 million in
Miramonte-related settlements.

The district also replaced all 85 Miramonte teachers for months to assure
parents their children were safe.

Remember the McMartin Preschool Child Abuse Trial? $15 million dollars was spent to prosecute the Mc Martin family who ran a preschool in Manhattan Beach, Ca.  No one was convicted and the victims are the family members who were prosecuted, especially Ray Buckey who spent five years in county jail awaiting trial. The children who were convinced that they were abused were also victims because they were manipulated and left without a clear understanding of the consequences of lying.  There were no winners.

Here's the point where I'm going to allow myself to indulge in conspiracy theorizing.  The McMartin trials ended in 1989 and marked the beginning of the decline of the career of Disrtrict Attorney Ira Reiner whose office oversaw the prosecution.  1989 was the year of the nine-day UTLA strike against the LAUSD.  Up until that time the district had a program in place that trained teachers to talk to elementary school age children about sexual abuse prevention.  After the strike the program was eliminated due to "budget constraints."  

The recent crop of child abuse cases in the LAUSD covers allegations that go back a decade or more.  The question arises, if LAUSD had continued the program of child sexual abuse prevention, would any of the valid allegations against teachers have been ignored by administrators, parents and students for this long?  Is it just convenience or a happy accident (for Mr. Deasy's masters) that over the last twenty years the children of Los Angeles have not been taught what to do when they are touched inappropriately? 

Unpacking Mr. Springer's story HERE is what is clear;  Mr. Deasy will recommend and the Board of Education of the LAUSD will dismiss any teacher based upon any allegation from anyone even if later withdrawn.  ANY ALLEGATION AGAINST A TEACHER LEADS TO DISMISSAL. Is any teacher safe?  Why would anyone want to go into teaching given this situation?  Is there nothing to stop this witch-hunt?


“And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With odd old ends stol'n out of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.”
― William Shakespeare, Richard III