A 56-year-old Fontana Unified School District employee who serves as the district's information-services-and-support manager has been arrested on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse of a child, authorities said. Inmate records show he was arrested on Oct. 8. The district says the man has no contact with students as part of his job, and no Fontana Unified student appears to be a victim.
What the District Has Confirmed So Far
According to Whittier Daily News, the district has not heard from the employee since his arrest on the felony charge. The same report, citing inmate records, says the arrest took place last Thursday, Oct. 8. As of the report, the district said it had received no further contact from him since then.
The outlet notes that the employee is not currently present at district offices while the matter proceeds through appropriate channels, according to a statement the district sent to its community on Oct. 12. The statement added that the district cannot share additional details at this time due to the ongoing process and legal requirements.
District Message to Families and Staff
In its Oct. 12 statement, the district acknowledged the discomfort such news can cause, saying the district takes the matter very seriously and recognizes news of this nature may concern students, families and staff, per the same account. Officials reiterated that the employee does not have contact with district students when he is at work, and that no Fontana student appears to be a victim.
A District With a Costly Abuse History
Fontana Unified has confronted abuse allegations before. Four girls who said they were sexually abused by former Fontana middle school teacher Garry Lee Gorgei Jr. settled lawsuits with the district for $14 million, according to Fontana Herald News. The lawsuits alleged Gorgei abused minor female students at Southridge Middle School and Fontana High School, with the alleged abuse reportedly occurring between 1988 and 1999. That settlement was reached in March, though the paperwork was not finalized until July, the Herald News reported. Gorgei is serving a 20-year prison sentence for the crimes, per the outlet.
Details on the arrest, including the agency involved and any formal charges beyond the reported suspicion, have not been disclosed.
