Parents at Southeast Middle Outraged Over Teacher Sex Scandal

The shocking allegations of sexual molestation that have been made against Kip Arnold, 51, a physical education teacher at Southeast Middle School, by a former student from a school at Huntington Park, have caused a lot of outrage among parents.

“How can the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) allow a person with such a history into one of their school’s?” asked Vilma Lemus, 30, a South Gate resident and mother of two boys that currently attend Southeast Middle School. “What kind of people are our kids being taught by?”

Arnold has that put an end to his attempted escape from police.

Arnold currently stands accused of having had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl in 2005, while he was a teacher at Nimitz Middle School in Huntington Park. The alleged victim, who is now an adult,  recently came forward with her allegations to the police.

According to KTLA, another alleged victim has also come forward.

Last Friday, Arnold with several counts of lewd acts on a child, two counts of oral copulation with a minor, and for penetration with a foreign object, among others, according to Deputy District Attorney Diana Martinez.

Arnold is currently on unpaid compulsory leave from his job due to the  charges charges filed against him, confirmed a spokesperson of the LAUSD. 

Parents are upset that the district was oblivious to these allegations for so long. With some expecting little to change, because they feel the district lacks an effective strategy to combat sexual abuse.

“I believe that the district does not know how to control this,” said Celia Torres, 45, who has two children at Southeast Middle School.  “[The LAUSD] will focus on the problems of one school, but stop paying attention to what is happening in others.”

Waldo Pérez, 51, whose daughter recently graduated 8^th grade from Southeast Middle School, believes that the school and district administrators have failed in addressing the problem.

Insisting that better communication is necessary between all parties to both find out and prevent such incidents.

“Parents, student and teachers need to work in a group,” said Pérez. Further adding that the rigid communications structure at Southeast Middle School has made it difficult for parents to address other concerns, such as drugs and violence. “It is bureaucracy, the school creates millions obstacles.”

The LAUSD insists that they are doing everything possible to address the issue of sexual abuse in their schools.

In an email to South Gate Patch Latino, a spokesperson insisted that the district has pushed for changes that will help it address the issue.

Citing LAUSD's advocacy for SB1530, which they say would have made it easier to remove teachers with allegations of improper conduct, if not voted down by the state assembly.  

The LAUSD also stated that they are doing a lengthy investigation into past complaints. 

 “Superintendent John Deasy earlier this year directed principals to look into any complaints of school personnel since 1972,” wrote a spokesperson of the LAUSD via email. “ In an unprecedented effort to uncover any cases of misconduct that may have been previously missed.” 

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