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Two Miramonte Elementary School teachers accused of sex abuse. (KTLA-TV) |
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KTLA) -- The sex scandal at Miramonte Elementary school has prompted the L.A. Unified School District to revise its curriculum, removing lessons involving blindfolding students.
Part of the new fourth grade reading curriculum called for blindfolding students as part of a sensory exercise.
The activity is part of the new California Treasures curriculum, and its purpose is to "review with students that sensory details are details that we observe by using our five senses."
Students work in pairs, with one of them blindfolded. The blindfolded student must answer questions about an object from the other student.
In light of the allegations against former teacher Mark Berndt, however, a senior district official nixed the blindfolding.
Berndt, 61, has been charged with 23 counts of lewd conduct for allegedly photographing students blindfolded and being spoon-fed his semen.
In light of that case, blindfolding "may be perceived negatively," Deputy Supt. of Instruction Jaime Aquino wrote in a Feb. 23 memo to principals.
Meantime, attorneys who represent 20 students allegedly victimized by a former teacher at Miramonte Elementary School will release copies of claims against the LAUSD Friday.
The lawyers claim the district was aware of complaints against Mark Berndt as far back as 1990.
Berndt, who worked at the school for more than 30 years, was arrested on Jan. 30.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and is being held on $23 million bail -- $1 million for each charge.
Police were initially alerted to Berndt after a film processor at a CVS in Redondo Beach turned over some suspicious photographs.
Since then, investigators have uncovered about 600 bondage-type photos of children allegedly taken by Berndt.
Some of the photos photos are of children blindfolded with cockroaches on their faces and spoonfuls of semen in front of their mouths.
Berndt also allegedly fed students cookies laced with his semen.
A second accused former Miramonte teacher, 49-year-old Martin Bernard Springer, is free on $300,000 bail.
He was fitted with a court-ordered ankle monitoring device before his release.
Springer was arrested on Feb. 3, and fired several days later, after charges were filed that he sexually abused two students.
He pleaded not guilty to three counts of lewd acts on a child.
Part of the new fourth grade reading curriculum called for blindfolding students as part of a sensory exercise.
The activity is part of the new California Treasures curriculum, and its purpose is to "review with students that sensory details are details that we observe by using our five senses."
Students work in pairs, with one of them blindfolded. The blindfolded student must answer questions about an object from the other student.
In light of the allegations against former teacher Mark Berndt, however, a senior district official nixed the blindfolding.
Berndt, 61, has been charged with 23 counts of lewd conduct for allegedly photographing students blindfolded and being spoon-fed his semen.
In light of that case, blindfolding "may be perceived negatively," Deputy Supt. of Instruction Jaime Aquino wrote in a Feb. 23 memo to principals.
Meantime, attorneys who represent 20 students allegedly victimized by a former teacher at Miramonte Elementary School will release copies of claims against the LAUSD Friday.
The lawyers claim the district was aware of complaints against Mark Berndt as far back as 1990.
Berndt, who worked at the school for more than 30 years, was arrested on Jan. 30.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and is being held on $23 million bail -- $1 million for each charge.
Police were initially alerted to Berndt after a film processor at a CVS in Redondo Beach turned over some suspicious photographs.
Since then, investigators have uncovered about 600 bondage-type photos of children allegedly taken by Berndt.
Some of the photos photos are of children blindfolded with cockroaches on their faces and spoonfuls of semen in front of their mouths.
Berndt also allegedly fed students cookies laced with his semen.
A second accused former Miramonte teacher, 49-year-old Martin Bernard Springer, is free on $300,000 bail.
He was fitted with a court-ordered ankle monitoring device before his release.
Springer was arrested on Feb. 3, and fired several days later, after charges were filed that he sexually abused two students.
He pleaded not guilty to three counts of lewd acts on a child.
