Miramonte's Berndt Got $40,000 From L.A. School Board to Quietly Walk Away Despite Alleged Sex-Abuse Atrocities

By Dennis Romero Thu., Feb. 9 2012 at 5:57 PM

KPCC

A photo of Berndt released by attorneys suing the district.

Corrected after the jump; headline has been changed.

If it weren't for his eventual arrest, we might have never found out about the atrocities alleged to have happened in Mark Berndt's Miramonte Elementary School class.

That's because the L.A. Unified School District's elected board quietly paid Berndt to go away, according to an astonishing report by KPCC's (89.3 FM) Tami Abdollah today.

Taxpayer money was given to Berndt:

He was paid ~~a $40,000 settlement, given~~ months of back pay worth $24,000, was allowed to retire instead of being fired, and even had his legal fees, in the sum of $16,000, covered.

Can you say outrage?

Winning: Your L.A. school board.

This even though the district alleged back in January of 2011 that Berndt, according to KPCC's echoing of documents it received ...

... caused students to be blindfolded, allowed himself to be blindfolded; caused students to have tape placed over their mouths, allowed himself to have tape placed over his mouth; caused several students to be fed with a spoon containing an "unknown cloudy-colored liquid substance"; caused several students to eat cookies with that same substance on them; touched several students by placing arm around them.

Berndt hired an attorney and fought the charges after his dismissal in January, leading to a June 7 closed-door decision by the board to let him walk away quietly with more than $3,800 a month in pension pay -- which cannot be taken away from him even if he's convicted -- and the other cash listed above, according to KPCC.

Berndt is charged with 23 counts of lewd acts on a child, acts that allegedly included spoon-feeding semen to his students.

When he was arrested last week, the world finally found out about Miramonte.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

Berndt, LAUSD, Miramonte, sex abuse

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KareninVenice

Throw the bums (I mean the school board members) out.

Daughtersofbukowski

He was given more? It is important that people know that a teacher who tries to report child abuse or any misconduct for that matter is often harassed, mobbed, even accused of transgressions they are innocent of. If you're a teacher who is aware of any kind of noncompliance, you should report it, but not within LAUSD. In child abuse cases that involve faculty, go to law enforcement and social workers, but do as much as you can to establish this is happening because if your claims are unfounded, there's a good chance administrators will come after you. There are laws that protect whistle blowers. Review those and Ed. Codes as well as the CBA.. If therenis a case as scary as Berndt, you must get to detectives and be ready to help them catch this person. I hate to say it bu LAUSD colluded with these pervs on some level. Why do you think thy choose schools where poor students are marginalized and leadership is so poor?

Chef4ny

Dennis Romero is a homo.

Daughtersofbukowski

You know, this is rather important. Could you two flirt on another thread?

Efrain Rojas

There is only one moral position to take on this matter if you are in the teaching profession-you should be leading the charge to expel the monsters from amongst your ranks. Mock indignation over due process merely reveals your sub-humanity. If you could do us all a favor and chime in with your real name, just as I do, that would be great. Only cowards and UTLA heels hide behind pseudonyms.

Daughtersofbukowski

When I use my name, it censors me. But I am out . Rene Diedrich, Efrain. Lets do this.

Rene Diedrich

That's what I am all about Efrain. Visit www.perdaily.com

Were like the militia of education reform.

Hackwatch

For the sake of journalism I can only hope that a similar offer is made to Dennis Romero to quietly go away on the condition he doesn't hack anymore 'editorial' together..ever.....

Christopher Poole

Seriously, he's terrible. Just because you can use the internet doesn't mean you are a journalist.

Daughtersofbukowski

Well, that Dance of the Lemons article won an award and it's just as snappy rehash of an LAT series that proves today's journalist is essentially a stenographer.

Dennis Romero

Thanks guys. Until you have regular trolls calling for your dismissal at every post (during the hours most people work, no less), you really haven't made it in this game. I'll be posting throughout the day. Some will win, some will lose. But if you guys can be sure to bring the haterade each time, it'll keep me on the map. Appreciate it.

Aunty

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA- there, there of course you will......

Dennis Romero

Christopher:

With your continued support I'll get there someday ...

Christopher Poole

Also you aren't on any map, you are a nobody blogger who has no clue how to write without inserting his own opinions.But keep telling yourself you're important.

Christopher Poole

It's not trolling, you really are a terrible journalist.

Gue Vo Tess

Now this is the "icing on the cake" aka "White substance" from the School Board to the Tax payers, without the Pictures.

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