A 37-year-old teacher at a Hacienda Heights high school has been arrested in connection with an alleged sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female student, authorities said Tuesday.
David Park, a Chino Hills resident who teaches at Los Altos High School, was taken into custody by Special Victims Bureau detectives at his home on Monday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
He was held on suspicion of oral copulation, lewd act with a child 15 years old, and sexual battery. His bail was set at $1 million and he was due in court Wednesday.
Park allegedly committed inappropriate acts with the girl in a classroom, after class and at his home between September and November 2014.
A school staff member saw the alleged victim appearing distraught and began to ask questions, authorities said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District was notified of the allegations on Monday afternoon, and the school’s principal notified the Sheriff’s Department, according to a statement from district Superintendent Cynthia Parulan-Colfer.
The teacher, who was not named in the statement, was placed on administrative leave, according to Parulan-Colfer.
Park was a chemistry and biology teacher, investigators said.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the school district at 626-933-3801 or the Special Victims Bureau at 800-222-8477.
“We know this type of incident has the potential to be disruptive to a campus learning environment, and we hope everyone will respect that environment, the victim’s privacy and the ongoing investigation during this process,” Parulan-Colfer said.
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