Some parents protested on Tuesday outside an elementary school in West Covina, saying that a substitute teacher left their children feeling unsafe in class. NBC4’s Lauren Coronado reports on February 20, 2024.
The parents of a West Covina elementary school protested Tuesday morning after an incident with a substitute teacher made their children feel “uncomfortable.”
According to some parents, the incident happened last Friday at Cameron Elementary School.
“The teacher had his back to the kids, so they could see his phone and Adison said that there were naked people on the phone,” said Stacy Mathews, mother of a student in the accused teacher’s classroom.
Mathews said that many of the students huddled together in a corner because they felt uncomfortable.
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“He wouldn’t let them go to the bathroom,” Mathews said.
Many of the students eventually left the classroom and got help.
The superintendent of the West Covina Unified School District, Emy Flores, told NBCLA that the substitute teacher was removed immediately, and an investigation is underway.
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“As soon as we found out, we took immediate action”, said Flores.
Flores said the principal relocated students to the school’s wellness center, removed the substitute teacher from the classroom, alerted the district and then police. Each parent was individually called after for questions surrounding the teacher track-record.
A statement released Friday by West Covina’s chief of police, Richard Bell, said: “We urge everyone to remain calm and trust in the investigative process. We are dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all community members, particularly our children.”
Some parents at this morning’s rally said their children were too upset to attend school.
“When we found out on Saturday that he wasn’t arrested, she was scared thinking that he was going to come back and come back to get them for tattling, is how she worded it,” said Mathews.
Flores said her district has a very complete and detailed hiring process, “which also includes more than fingerprints, but a full background with DOJ, as well as drug testing.” She said everything has come back clean from the substitute teacher.
The parents say they want justice to be served and demand the arrest of the teacher.
