Online Reactions: Math Teacher's Arrest Shocks Former Students

Pablo Zamora January 12, 2012 at 01:58 am

Correction: Granada High School math teacher

jaime Clouser January 12, 2012 at 04:40 am

Um whoever is in charge of checking the comments needs to block dumb, ignorant,immature people like you guys! You should be ashamed of yourself!

Robert January 12, 2012 at 07:24 am

no kidding...these comments are totally crossing the line! Hey Kris, or whoever moderates this page.....these comments need to go!

Kari Hulac (Editor) January 12, 2012 at 11:12 am

Our apologies! We unfortunately can't moderate 24 hours. If it continues, we will turn off commenting on the article. Thanks!

Chelsea B January 12, 2012 at 05:37 pm

I remember mrs Johnson from when I attended Granada and I was absolutely shocked when I heard this! Hopefully Livermore officers find out what really happened so no ones lives are ruined over this. Yes it's horribly wrong having sexual acts under someone who's under age but if it wasn't rape n he was willing I think that should be taken into consideration; it's so wrong to be an adult n a trusted teacher n commit sexual acts but it makes a difference if she didn't force him n he wanted to at first then changes hi mind. Let's hope the officers find out what really happened

Girlie Lee January 15, 2012 at 02:24 am

A child is a child no matter what gender or age. Children trust their parents to guide and protect us. Parents extend that trust to teachers. John used ehrknowledge, experience, and influence to manipulate a child in trusted to her. She misused her position and abused her student sexually and mostly psychologically when she should have been guiding and protecting him from potefiles like herself! She deserves more than punishment of imprisonment!

Keith Pickering-Walters January 15, 2012 at 08:16 am

I’ve remained silent on this issue out of respect for the privacy of all individuals involved in this case and have done my best to wait for all of the information to be released (which it still hasn’t), but these posts have become way to ridiculous, inflammatory, and liable to the extent that it’s offensive and I must write.
The recent comments made by “Dublin Mom” on the Livermore.Patch.com site are simply offensive.

Keith Pickering-Walters January 15, 2012 at 08:18 am

Your suggestion that the case was being “investigated by school authorities at the time, and that was why [your] visit was canceled” is completely offensive. And you expect to be invited back as a speaker? (It might also be good if you can get the name of our school correct – it’s Granada, not Grenada)
Disclaimer: The comments made here represent my personal views and my views only and do not represent any official position, policy, or contract of the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District or the Livermore Education Association. I am currently employed as a teacher at Granada High School and am darned proud of our school, staff, and students. Prior to Granada, I was the president of our teacher’s union for four years, am currently the Bargaining Chair, and am darned proud of the vast majority of my fellow staff members and the work that our union does to represent the teachers of Livermore. Prior to LEA, I taught at Livermore High School and am darned proud of that school, too. Prior to LHS, I taught at Marylin Avenue until our bilingual program was dissolved and I decided to obtain my Single Subject Fine Arts Credential to teach at the High School level. And, yes, I’m darned proud of Marylin Avenue Elementary School as well.

Keith Pickering-Walters January 15, 2012 at 08:18 am

The comments made by Dalene Barry are simply inaccurate. She was invited to speak at GHS by a classified staff member who knew her and around the time of her visit began working for her as her “Education Outreach Coordinator”. Her presentation about her personal experiences being abused to a Human Development/Relationships class was the appropriate venue. Speaking to the entire campus of Livermore High School was not – especially since it was not approved by the administration and was misrepresented to a staff member there as if it had been wholeheartedly recommended by Granada.
Her book was never pulled off the library shelves because it was never on the library shelves. Books – especially books donated to the school by an individual – must be reviewed and then approved prior to being placed in libraries or classrooms. Imagine what would happen if schools just accepted any book that was given to them? What if Playboy Magazine donated a subscription, would you expect that we’d immediately make it available to students?

Keith Pickering-Walters January 15, 2012 at 08:18 am

The articles report that the student told another staff person on campus about the accusations on Tuesday. That staff person obviously did what they were trained to do as a mandated reporter and immediately reported it. The police were involved immediately and the accused was arrested prior to the start of school. The articles have also stated that the “alleged assaults occurred in a car and other undisclosed locations in Livermore.” There is no mention that it occurred at Granada. We don’t have some secret room that everyone turns a blind eye to so that adults and children can spend time together.
Your suggestions that the District and Unions knew about this sickens me and I can only imagine what your motivation is for suggesting this. If you have “never heard of a school district that chose the rights and safety of a student over the rights and safety of the employees…”, you have certainly never heard of any of our schools in the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District because that’s what we all do – at every one of them. Your “facts” and “statistics” around employee rights, violations, employee evaluations, and what the purpose of the Union is are completely fabricated in your mind.

Robert January 15, 2012 at 11:05 am

Thank you Kari-some people forget that this is a public forum, and that there are kids, maybe elderly, and just people in general that don't want to see the profanity that those earlier comments had in them. I know this particular story is an EXTREMELY sensitive nature, so it is bound to stir up anger or disgust or whatever, but profanity should be left out!

Robert January 15, 2012 at 11:13 am

So basically what you're saying that if it's consenual, meaning the BOY OK'D Mrs Johnson to have sex with him, then all should be forgiven, no charges should be filed, and everything should be back to normal. I'm sorry Chelsea.....the BOY...and I emphasize BOY(14yrs old) and what this lady did was a CRIME.....Not a slap-on-the-wrist type of incident! HOW can you even suggest that this is could have been no big deal

MagnusT January 16, 2012 at 02:41 am

Unless he hasn't passed through puberty yet then by all biological standards that "boy" is actually a man. He's only considered a "boy" because our society for some reason deems it imperative that we keep young men in an adolescent state for as long as possible.