So the OUSD Politburo has decided to talk with the Santiago Charter Middle School administration on ways to improve student safety {here's the OC Register story. Once again, no LAT story -- have these guys completely abandoned OC news coverage?).
It goes without saying that this is the initial route the OUSD should have followed after Santiago Middle School teacher Sarah Bench-Salorio was arrested on molestation charges, rather than rush into a jihad to revoke Santiago's charter.
Too bad I can't say better late than never. There's no denying: this is a great victory for Santiago parents. The trustees postponed a revocation vote from Feb. 10 to Feb 24, and left open the possibility of postponing it further. This means the vote will never happen, but the Board doesn't want to cave so abjectly while the spotlight of publicity is glaring on them so intensely.
Unfortunately, by issuing a report containing Bench-Salorio's salacious e-mails to her student paramours -- a report required to begin revocation proceedings -- the District has opened itself up to a lawsuit from Bench-Salorio.
Nice going, guys. And I thought the old school board was inept in handling these sort of things.
Like many parents and grandparents, I've been following this teacher-student love crisis for a while. One was just accused in PA, arrested, and then the girl said "it never happened but she was FORCED to say it did. No proof of any kind, and the case was reluctanly dropped. Your comment about Solario's e-mails to her victims being released is similar to Florida teacher Debra Lafave's telephone conversations with her victims being made public before her trial. A potential juror reading the e.mails or hearing the well-broadcast tapes of Lafave could NOT put those out of their mind since they make the connection that a lying student would not be able to produce otherwise. Also DNA from the victims puts doubts of innocence out of the window.
Punishments? Lafave lost her job, her home, her husband, and all of her money PRIOR to a trial or conviction so far. Salorio has been in an 8x8 jail cell since January 4th, only out shackled and handcuffed for two pre-trial hearings. I'm sure not many visitors or supporters since the e.mail releases and the boys testimony in court. Does anyone know if her husband has left her? Or if he got the children they took from her home the day she was arrested?
Posted by: gg | May 26, 2005 at 08:13 PM
Lafave, being "too pretty for jail." was given house arrest for 3 years, and 10 years of probation in her plea deal. Also, no speaking to anyone or profit from her case, similar to the Pam Rogers sentence. The "cool-mom_" from Arizona got 30 YEARS for similar crimes with multiple youths that got New Yorks Beth Geisel SIX MONTHS..Sarah Bench Salorio...bi-polar? Ill? Does it matter? Not the interest in her case that the "prettier pair" Lafave and Rogers-Turner attracted. She'll do state prison time, it seems. Here's hoping this will put an end to a horrible year of bad news about our trusted educators.
Posted by: gg | December 05, 2005 at 09:27 AM