A Pasadena middle school teacher was arrested last week on suspicion of molesting a 14-year-old girl.
Police said the suspect – Michael Joseph Medina, 34, of Glendale – is an eighth-grade history teacher at McKinley School. Pasadena Police arrested Medina on March 1 at the McKinley campus on South Oak Knoll Avenue, according to a Patch report.
Police detained Medina on campus and the suspect was subsequently booked on the following charges:
According to a report from the Pasadena Star-News, in a Thursday statement, Superintendent Brian McDonald indicated:
“The Pasadena Unified School District became aware of the allegations on Wednesday and reported them to police.”
“The statement and an email sent to parents by Merian Stewart, the principal at McKinley, didn’t reveal how school officials learned of the allegations,” the Star-News said.
In a statement, Lieutenant Keith Gomez confirmed that during the investigation, detectives from the Pasadena Police Department discovered:
The statement from Gomez further noted that the investigation involved detectives from the department’s Special Victim’s Unit:
Some of the alleged crimes happened before the girl was 14, according to Gomez. The victim was one of Medina’s students, but police did not confirm if the alleged molestations occurred on the Kindergarten through 8th grade campus.
Patch reported that Medina is currently released on bond.
The Pasadena Star-News reported that when reached by a reporter Thursday morning, Medina said:
“According to my attorney, I can’t say anything right now.”
The Pasadena Unified School District placed Medina on a leave of absence pending the outcome of the police investigation, Superintendent McDonald said.
“The allegations are deeply disturbing and if proven to be true, the district will act promptly and take appropriate action,” McDonald told the Pasadena Star-News. “Our main focus is to support our students and staff during this difficult time.”
A spokeswoman for Pasadena Unified said Medina began working for the district in August.
“Before working for the district, all employees are subject to a screening, including fingerprinting and background checks by the California Department of Justice,” Superintendent McDonald said.
Given Medina’s continuous access to children, police have indicated that there may be unidentified victims. Anyone with further information regarding a sex crime committed by Michael Joseph Medina is urged to contact Pasadena Police officials at 626-744-4241.
Anonymous tips may be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 800-222-8477.
Under California law, any sexual act involving a minor is considered a crime (as no child can legally give consent).
Sexual abuse may involve either sexual assault or exploitation, but the legal definition includes a range of traumatizing and odious acts:
Parents are encouraged to remain vigilant if they suspect their child is being abused. Some of the common warning signs to look out for include:
Older children and teens may exhibit the following traits after sexual abuse:
If you suspect your child is being victimized by a teacher, coach, clergy member, or relative, contact Dordulian Law Group’s (DLG) dedicated child sexual abuse attorneys for a free consultation by calling 866-GO-SEE-SAM. DLG was founded by Sam Dordulian, a former sex crimes prosecutor in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office who has garnered over 100 jury trial victories and helped obtain life sentences against some of the community’s most loathsome sexual predators.
Dordulian and his team of aggressive and proven school sexual abuse lawyers are standing by 24/7 to answer any questions you may have and help you and your family take the first step toward securing justice for a sexual abuse case.
Under California law, survivors of school sexual abuse may pursue civil claims (lawsuits) against the school, the school district, and the teacher or employee who committed the actual crimes (either individually or collectively). Depending on the circumstances of your child’s individual case, DLG’s California school sexual abuse attorneys will work tirelessly to hold all responsible parties accountable for their actions and/or negligence.
Damages that may be awarded in a school sexual abuse claim include:
To file your child’s school sexual abuse claim, contact DLG today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM.
The total value of your school sexual abuse lawsuit will depend on a number of factors, such as:
School districts around the United States have been forced to pay exceedingly large sexual abuse settlements and verdicts in recent years:
In 2022, multiple California school districts were ordered to pay damages or settled lawsuits stemming from allegations that administrators did not act properly to investigate employees accused of sexually abusing students:
Examples of recent California school sexual abuse lawsuits which were settled and garnered major headlines include:
Ready to file a claim and pursue justice through a financial damages award? Our expert attorneys are available online or by phone now.
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