An allegation made against a local teacher of sexual battery on a student at a junior high school remains under active investigation, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department official.
The report involves several incidents that took place during a three-month period, according to the mother of the child involved, at a William S. Hart Union High School District junior high school.
Hart District Superintendent Michael Vierra was not available upon request to speak on the matter Thursday or Friday.
Debbie Dunn, the district’s director of communications and community engagement, provided an emailed statement that read: “The district is aware of an allegation raised by a parent regarding an employee at one of our junior high schools. The district takes all allegations of misconduct seriously.”
The statement added: “When this concern was brought to our attention, the district immediately followed established protocols, including placing the employee on paid administrative leave and conducting a comprehensive investigation. Decisions regarding employee status are made only after careful review of all available information and in accordance with legal requirements.”
The mother of a 12-year-old Sierra Vista Junior High School student told The Signal on Wednesday afternoon that her child stated a teacher inappropriately touched her on several different occasions that gradually became worse. She requested anonymity out of concern for her and her child’s safety.
The student’s mother clarified that the incidents did not involve touching beneath clothing: She described one incident as rubbing the student’s shoulder, another as touching the student’s waist, and another as touching the student’s rear end when she bent over to pick up trash.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department official confirmed on Thursday afternoon the nature of the report and stated it remains under investigation as of the publication of this story.
The child reported to the mother that it made her uncomfortable and, after communicating with the teacher about her boundaries, it continued. The first such reported incident was in August of last year and the most recent wasOct. 8, according to the mother, which is when she filed a report with the Sheriff’s Department.
The teacher was placed on leave and was no longer in the classroom the next day, according to the mother, and resumed teaching last week, despite an ongoing law enforcement investigation, which has become a concern for her, she said.
Sgt. Joseph Mesa, who leads LASD’s Special Victims Unit, confirmed that deputies took a report dated Oct. 8 in relation to a report of a sexual battery incident involving a student, and school officials were made aware of the matter.
He also confirmed that the report provided a timeline of different incidents between the student and teacher dating back from August to October 2025, and added that LASD officials have not been made aware of other allegations involving the teacher.
The Signal has decided not to name the teacher as he was not arrested in connection to the incident, and no charges have been formally presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office as of Thursday, according to Mesa.
The mother stated that she was told by campus staff that families of students who were in the teacher’s classroom would be notified of his return through a district/campus statement on ParentSquare, a district-wide communication platform that distributes alerts, class updates and attendance information.
The mother was told she would receive the statement as well, but when she followed up to see what it would tell the families, the school’s principal told her that she did not receive the information as her child was already removed from the classroom before the teacher’s return.
Upon request Friday, Dunn provided The Signal with the text of that message, with the teacher’s name redacted. The message read: “Good afternoon parents. As you may be aware, your child’s teacher has been absent from school for a portion of the current school year. Please be aware they will be returning to the classroom Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. We will work to ensure that this teaching transition is smooth.”
The circumstances have caused emotional and mental distress over the past few months, the mother of the child said, and added that her daughter has faced bullying on campus, is no longer interested in school, and now sees a therapist.
