2nd Miramonte Elementary Teacher Arrested for Child Abuse
A second Miramonte Elementary teacher has been arrested days for child abuse days after Mark Berndt's arrest. Now Martin Bernard Springer, 49, was arrested on suspicion that he fondled two girls.
Berndt's arrest shocked Los Angeles after charges he made children play a "tasting game" with his semen while blindfolded.
Springer, meanwhile, allegedly touched two girls. One was 7 and the other 8. The incidents took place sometime during the last three years, reports USA Today.
Springer and Berndt both spent their entire teaching careers at Miramonte Elementary.
Springer's arrest sent shockwaves through the community. The elementary school, with about 1,500 students, is one of the largest in the country, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Springer was arrested last week. He is currently being held on a $2 million bail. Investigators interviewed him and his alleged victims last week. Officials expect that more victims might step forward in coming weeks.
There are some individuals that are required by law to report suspicion of child abuse. This includes teachers, fire fighters, health practitioners, and social workers to name a few. So if school officials reasonably suspected the two teachers were committing abuse, they would have been required by law to report to authorities.
It's unclear if anyone at the school had reasonable suspicion that Martin Bernard Springer was committing abuse. But there are some questions about whether or not the school should have done more in Berndt's case. The school waited a year to divulge details of the "tasting game" to parents.
Related Resources:
- Second teacher arrested amid L.A. sex abuse probe (Reuters)
- Child Abuse Background and History (FindLaw)
- What To Do if You Suspect Child Abuse (FindLaw Blotter)
- L.A. Teacher Accused of Lewd Acts, Spooning Semen to Students (FindLaw's Los Angeles Criminal Law Blog)
