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“In towns and cities... there is no more important institution than the local paper.”
Warren Buffett
La Mirada High School teacher Michael Rodriguez, 47, who was recently arrested and accused of molesting five students on campus between Sept. 1, 2018 and Nov. 30, 2018, pleaded not guilty to the charges in Downey Superior Court.
Rodriguez was arraigned on five counts of misdemeanor child molesting, according to Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. There are five victims, all girls.
The victims reported the alleged molestations to NLMUSD school officials who subsequently notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Ruiz said.
NLMUSD officials then immediately placed Rodriguez on administrative leave, weeks later, the DA’s Office filed charges against Rodriguez.
La Mirada High School principal Lisa Reed declined to comment and referred HMG-LCCN to a statement on the NLMUSD website.
“The District was recently informed that a La Mirada High School teacher who has not been present on campus since December 2018 was arrested on an alleged violation of PC 647.6 (a)(1), annoyance of a minor. We continue to work with local law enforcement. Because the matter remains under investigation, we are not able to provide additional details at this time. The safety and well-being of our students is the Board’s highest priority. We take allegations of employee misconduct involving children very seriously. The District will continue to work proactively to resolve this matter and protect the well-being of our students.”