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As L.A. Probes Sex Abuse Charges, Staff Replaced At Elementary Schoolby Mark Memmott February 7, 2012 08:00am "In a dramatic move to quell parents' fears, Los Angeles school officials said they will temporarily replace the entire staff of an elementary school south of downtown Los Angeles, where two teachers have been accused of lewd acts against students," the Los Angeles Times writes. KPCC's Pass/Fail blog says that "the district has never relocated an entire staff before." The changes at Miramonte Elementary School "will affect everyone from the principal to secretaries to teachers to custodians, [L.A. Unified Superintendent John] Deasy said....

A mother and child walk past Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies in front of Miramonte Elementary, where an accused teacher is alleged to have given gifts to a student A public meeting called by L.A. school officials to discuss the arrest of two teachers accused of abusing students at a South Los Angeles elementary school turned ugly as angry parents accused the district of a cover-up.

An attorney representing a student at Miramonte Elementary School said Friday children were pulled from after-school programs and other teachers' classes to take part in "tasting games" at the center of lewd conduct charges against fired teacher Mark Berndt. In these games, children were photographed while blindfolded and asked to taste a liquid that police now believe to be the semen Berndt, who was arrested Monday. Attorney Brian E. Claypool said his client was 9 when her photograph was taken by Berndt, although she was not his student. FULL COVERAGE: Mark Berndt Claypool said Berndt had two ways of getting...