ABCUSD Teacher Accused of Inappropriate Interactions With Student, Mother Alleges Cover-Up

BY BRIAN HEWS

Last week the ABC Board got an email as a follow up to an issue classified by the ABCUSD Superintendent Dr. Mary Sieu “as a personal matter” and that the issue was being followed up by ABC personnel including the Superintendent and ABC Board President Soo Yoo.

A few days later, during last night’s Board meeting, the remaining Board members found out exactly what the personnel issue was, and at least two members were extremely upset.

A sobbing mother approached the dais for public comment and accused the District of withholding information on alleged sexual assault of her daughter and implicated the District in a cover-up.

She said her 13-year-old daughter was forced to have “inappropriate interactions” with a non-permanent substitute teacher, told a high school principal, and that the District did nothing about it.

The daughter described to her mother how the teacher forcibly put her hand on his penis and said he was in love with her.

HMG-LCCN did learn that there was an internal investigation after the allegations surfaced, and that the teacher was terminated, but that was the extent of the investigation.

The ABC investigation did not call for law enforcement to intervene, even though sources are telling HMG-LCCN that the teacher allegedly had additional interactions prior to the 13-year-old exchange.

HMG-LCCN has also been told that the teacher had been transferred twice between ABC schools.

This was all a surprise to the six remaining ABC School Board members, including ABC Board Vice President Leticia Mendoza.

Usually the Board President will inform the Vice President of any serious issues, especially sexual assault.

As the mother sobbed at the dais, President Yoo reportedly attempted to move the meeting along, but Board Member Chris Apodaca would have none of that.

Apodaca grabbed a box of tissue and left the dais to comfort the mom, and give her all the information she needed to properly report the issue.

The mother gathered herself and described her daughter’s state-of-mind and that she had to move the child to Texas to get her away from the ABC.

HMG-LCCN could not obtain information on the teacher other than he was classified as a “para educator;” para educators usually start at elementary schools then work their way up to middle schools, but for some reason the teacher was transferred from Haskell Middle School to Cerritos High School.

HMG-LCCN has sent emails to Dr. Sieu and President Soo Yoo, as of publication time they had not responded.