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April 2023 VOLUME XXXV ISSUE V
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STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL
Two teachers resigned after accusations of Wellness Center opens in library inappropriate behavior, public records reveal By Adrian Pamintuan “We have a little reading corBrookner faced allegations of nonconsensual touching of students By Riya Vyas
Former career and technical education teacher Lance Brookner was sent a proposed Statement of Charges and Notice of Unpaid Suspension and Recommendation for Dismissal from MUSD, according to a letter written by Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations Jonathon Brunson to Brookner on Sept. 29, 2022. The proposed charges against Brookner were immoral conduct, egregious misconduct, evident unfitness for service, and violation of school laws, according to the Statement of Charges. The letter, Statement of Charges, and several other documents were obtained by The Union through a public records request to MUSD. “These charges arise from your nonconsensual and unlawful touching of multiple female students in your classroom and inappropriate, sexual harassment type comments to multiple female students,” Brunson wrote in the Statement of Charges against Brookner. A supplement to an incident report filed by Officer Mostafa Asefi of the Milpitas Police Department on Aug. 22, 2022, requested a complaint against Brookner for penal code offenses 243.3(A), sexual battery, and 647.6(A), annoying and molesting a minor. According to California Penal
Code 243.3(A), “Any person who touches an intimate part of another person while that person is unlawfully restrained by the accused or an accomplice, and if the touching is against the will of the person touched and is for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse, is guilty of sexual battery.” The police incident report was obtained by The Union through a public records request to the City of Milpitas. “On 08-22-22, at approximately 1422 hours I respond to the Milpitas Police Department for a report of an inappropriate touching of a juvenile student,” Officer Asefi wrote in the police incident report. The victim looked shaken and afraid, Asefi noted in the police incident report. According to a resignation agreement between Brookner and the District, “The Parties desire to avoid the time and expense attendant upon further administrative and/or civil litigation and to settle, once and forever, all disputes arising out of, related to, or in any manner connected with Employee’s employment with the District.” Brookner signed the agreement on Nov. 1, 2022, and his resignation became effective on Dec. 31, 2022, according to the document. Brookner was placed on paid administrative leave on Aug. 23,
2022 and suspended without pay on Sep. 29, 2022, according to letters sent by Brunson to Brookner. Brookner denied touching the student in the manner she reported in an in-person interview with a district official on Sep. 19, 2022, according to the Statement of Charges. In a previous incident, another student reported to former Principal Francis Rojas that Brookner touched her inappropriately on June 1, 2022, according to the Statement of Charges. Brookner denied touching the student in the way she described during his interview with the district official, according to the Statement of Charges. “I, like many students, had to stick around in his class and experience situations such as this,” the student wrote in an email to Rojas on June 18, 2022, regarding the June 1 allegation. “We dont want this to happen to other students ever again or for this to happen in the upcoming school year. Please do something about this.” Rojas indicated that the District would investigate Brookner’s conduct regarding this allegation, but the investigation was delayed because of summer break, according to the Statement of Charges. Additionally, in a Letter of Warning dated April 20, 2022, Rojas wrote to Brookner that SEE PAGE 16
The Wellness Center is a new campus facility operated by employees from the Santa Clara County Office of Education that aims to serve as an early intervention resource to prepare students for long-term emotional resilience, Wellness Center liaison Storm McNerney said. Having opened in early February 2023, the center is ready to meet students’ needs, she said. The Wellness Center currently operates on the west side of the MHS Library, with an entrance through its main doors adjacent to the cafeteria. The facility is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., McNerney said. “I’m the one who checks in with them (the students) to get a general idea of what brings them in and how I can support them,” McNerney said. “If they’re needing more support — being connected to a resource or a counselor — I help them with that. The goal is after their visit here, they leave feeling better than when they came in.” If a student feels that they need wellness support, either through downtime activities or speaking to someone about their issues, they are able to stop by the Wellness Center at any time during class — with a teacher’s purple pass — or break for a 15 to 20 minute session, McNerney said.
ner, breathing resources, puzzle stations, art stations, so it’s very intentional,” Mental Health and wellness specialist Mireya Coronado said. “Santa Clara County has been very aware of the transformation that’s been happening: the schools are transforming into places where the community can receive support.” Even though the Wellness Center can be used for short-term activities like art projects and counseling sessions, it also serves as a hub for connecting students with crisis services to help with housing, healthcare, and food resources, Coronado said. “All school-based services are short-term because, as you can imagine, having 3000 students, there’s a big caseload,” Coronado said. “The students that can get better with short-term services will get better. For those students that need more, we’ll continue to support them.” Although McNerney is not a therapist or counselor herself, the staff members at the Wellness Center are there to support students in a safe space, McNerney said. Once students leave the center, they fill out check-out forms, she said. “On the surveys, I see that, ‘They made me feel comfortable.’ SEE PAGE 16
Eye on Campus:
Seniors win Trojan Olympics
Anderson faced investigation after student complaints By Riya Vyas
Assistant Principal Amanda Gross began an investigation of former social studies teacher Toby Anderson on Feb. 3, 2022, due to allegations of inappropriate behavior, according to Gross’ written statement and timeline of the investigation. Anderson was placed on paid administrative leave on Feb. 10, after Gross had interviewed three students and reported her findings to former Principal Francis Rojas and Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations Jonathon Brunson, Gross’ timeline indicated. Anderson signed a Settlement Agreement, General Release, and Irrevocable Resignation on June 20, 2022. The Union obtained this agreement, Gross’ statement, and other documents through a public records request to MUSD. Gross started the investigation after a teacher and a teacher’s union representative told Gross that a student had reported a complaint about Anderson, Gross wrote. According to Gross’ written statement, she interviewed a total of 36 students, 10 of which were named in the original complaint, and four of which were named in interviews. The remaining 22
students were randomly selected from current and past rosters of Anderson’s classes, Gross wrote. Ten of the “students encountered/observed Mr. Anderson touching students’ backs/shoulders/head while walking around the classroom checking on student work,” according to Gross. In addition, Gross wrote, “These students were embarrassed and angry or both about the unwanted touch.” “He would sit under his desk, and I’d be sitting in my seat, and he would grab my leg from under his desk, said senior Aya Al-Mathkur in an interview “I never felt comfortable in that class,” she added. Al-Mathkur was a student in Anderson’s life management and world history classes. Al-Mathkur said Anderson also hugged her from behind on her birthday although she had previously told him that she did not want to be touched by him and did not like to be touched by men. Fourteen of the students Gross interviewed commented on pictures Anderson had in his classroom, many of which included him with his arm around female students that were often petite, dark-haired, and Asian, Gross wrote. “His classroom had pictures of
only girls basically,” said junior Anika Gandhi in an interview. “His seating chart was girls in the front, guys in the back.” Gandhi was in Anderson’s life management and world history classes. In addition, four of the students interviewed by Gross commented that Anderson scheduled or wanted certain students in his class, Gross wrote. Twenty-two of the students expressed that Anderson favored girls, Gross wrote. “At the end of the year, he asked his favorite students, which were, I don’t know, like 10 girls. He was like, ‘I would love for you guys to be in my world history class, if you could go talk to your counselors and make sure they put you in my world history class,’” Al-Mathkur said. Gross also wrote that eighteen of the students commented on Anderson sharing his phone number with the class. “He expressed that the best way to contact him about any classwork or any situation that involves him would be to text his number, give him a phone call,” junior Jarron Temple, who was in Anderson’s world history class, said. “He did take emails but he preferred to be texted or called.” SEE PAGE 16
Deeksha Venkateswaran | THE UNION
The class of 2023 Trojan Olympics team ends their Toy Story-themed dance performance with a cheer on Friday, March 31 at the football field. They won by nine points over the class of 2024.