The $140-million settlement owed by the LA Unified School District to plaintiffs in the Miramonte School sex abuse case points to failures made. Some new policies have been instituted to prevent similar mistakes. In the aftermath of the 2012 arrest of now-convicted elementary school teacher Mark Berndt, LAUSD hired law enforcement personnel to lead investigations and expedite complaints of sexual misconduct and abuse. State-wide changes were made to laws governing teacher wrongdoing and dismissals. How have these reforms been working? Were they the appropriate fix? How can schools and parents talk to kids about the dangers of molestation - in a way that doesn't scare them?
Guests:
Bill Lucia, President and CEO, Edvoice - a nonprofit, grassroots network of parents, teachers and advocates that lobby Sacramento on education policy
Alex Caputo Pearl, President, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)