An Oakland man who once worked as a substitute teacher is facing charges for sending menacing letters to an East Bay elementary school. Lester Dale Lee, aged 69, allegedly threatened a school teacher and students at Dayton Elementary School in a series of harassing communications via mail.
Based on details from a recently unsealed criminal complaint, Lee is accused of mailing three frightening letters to Dayton Elementary School last May. Following the incidents, the suspect appeared in federal court today, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin, as outlined in a Justice Department release. The communications, sent in matching envelopes with typewritten labels, targeted a specific teacher and the student body, containing not only threats of violence but also racial slurs.
Timelines obtained from court documents reveal the school first received a letter on May 3, 2023, addressed to a teacher, wherein Lee, pretending to be a parent of a child in the class, included a racial slur and threats to shoot unless the African American students were removed. The subsequent letters, with one including an unidentified white powder, heightened tensions and fear among the school staff and parents. Addressed to the principal and the same teacher, these followed on May 18 and 19, repeating the racist rhetoric and the demand to remove African American students.
Lee's connection to the school ran deeper as he had worked as a substitute teacher at several schools within the San Lorenzo Unified School District, including Dayton Elementary, during the 2022-2023 school year. Lee was, however, let go from his role in April 2023 after reported clashes with Dayton Elementary students. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 28 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore to discuss his case status.
If convicted, Lee faces serious repercussions with a potential sentence of five years behind bars and a fine of $100 for each charge. It is important to note that these are mere allegations, and Lee is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The charges against him are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Mateer with Amala James's assistance, drawing upon the investigative efforts of the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and San Leandro Police Department.
