Miramonte teachers speak at rally
More than 200 parents, students and former Miramonte teachers gathered in South Los Angeles on Thursday to call for the immediate reinstatement of the school’s staff, which was removed in its entirety from the campus in early February, a week after the arrest of former teacher Mark Berndt on 23 counts of lewd conduct.
Thursday’s rally marked the first time that the teachers spoke publicly.
"We just really want to go back to our students," said one teacher in a interview. Like many others, she declined to be identified.
"We never got to say goodbye," she said. "We’re teachers, and we want to teach our kids. It’s been hard, and we’re trying to heal."
Said another teacher: “To our students, we love you and miss you.”
Since leaving Miramonte, southeast of downtown, the teachers have reported to work at nearby Augustus