New public records show Coronado High School students in late May located and distributed “a photo/image” of a district employee from an online dating app and then sent it to numerous smartphones of classmates, The Coronado News has learned.
The newspaper obtained additional records Aug. 18 from the Coronado School District following a legal demand letter.
Those records indicate that high school students obtained and shared the “inappropriate” material with peers at multiple grade levels including the middle school. The records, however, do not indicate how the students obtained the material.
The Coronado News earlier this month obtained records from the city’s police department showing law enforcement had launched a “possible child pornography” investigation into the May 24 controversy involving an employee who was placed on paid administrative leave.
At least nine students and two parents told The Coronado News that students on May 24 were sent screenshots of a shirtless male who resembled an administrator at the school.
The name of the administrator has not been disclosed, and the person’s identity was blacked out in the recently released records.
Maria Simon, the district’s spokeswoman, could not be reached about the investigation or answer questions whether CUSD students violated student conduct policies or were disciplined.
As for the ongoing Coronado Police Department investigation, Public Information Officer Lea Corbin said “we have no comment at this time.”
Circulating video reaches middle school
The Coronado News late on Aug. 18 received more than 80 pages of public records from the school district and a few additional pages of records from the city after the newspaper threatened to sue both entities for withholding documents and violating the California Public Records Act.
The district and city previously refused to release records to The Coronado News, saying withholding the records outweighs disclosure because the case was ongoing and that the case remained confidential.
Both entities, however, changed their positions following legal demand letters from Felix Tinkov, an attorney who specializes in public records cases and who was hired by The Coronado News.
What new district records show
New records from the district show Superintendent Karl Mueller informed the governing board that photos and a rumored video had circulated among students on May 24.
“If evidence of this video surfaces we will take the necessary action and, in an abundance of caution, place…[redacted]…on paid administrative leave,” wrote Mueller in an email. “We have reached out to our legal team and are proceeding with an investigation and looping in law enforcement as an appropriate course of action. We will provide updates as new information becomes available.”
That same day, Coronado Unified placed a CHS employee on paid administrative leave and said in a statement that an initiating investigation “does not involve any CUSD student/s.”
However, new records released to The Coronado News indicate students were involved and that Coronado Middle School Principal Brooke K. Falar informed all certified staff members the following morning (May 25) about the events that eventually made their way from one school to the next.
Please be aware that students on our campus have been airdropped photos/video and this has become…a topic of discussion for some students.”
Coronado Middle School Principal Brooke K. Falar.
“Please be aware that students on our campus have been airdropped photos/video and this has become…a topic of discussion for some students,” Falar wrote CMS educators. “If students have any concerns, please send them to the office to see a counselor or admin.”
The records also show the district’s efforts to initiate an investigation and provide support for both staff and students by making all district clinical counselors available at the high school site.
The high school employee placed on leave also was not allowed to attend the Coronado High School graduation, and high school Principal Karin Mellina was informed by a district official that the person’s name could be removed from the graduation program, records shows.
The records also listed the employee’s attorney, who did not respond to questions from The Coronado News.
Police notified May 24
Coronado Deputy City Attorney Timothy E. Campen, following the original June 6 Public Records Act request submitted by The Coronado News, only provided a narrative of the case.
But following a legal threat from the paper over records, the police department on Aug. 11 released records that showed it was investigating at least 34 possible crimes including “masturbation for the purpose of sexual stimulation for the viewer,” and sending or selling obscene matter depicting a minor.
Last Tuesday, on Aug. 15, the Coronado School Board held a special meeting regarding a personnel issue.
The board, however, took no action and issued no comment after meeting privately in executive session for about an hour and 20 minutes.
In a separate matter, the district announced it hired Donna Tripi as its new Director of Human Resources.
The Board is set to revisit a personnel issue during executive session in the next Regular Board Meeting, which will begin at 4 p.m. on Aug. 24 at the District Office.
