VENTURA : Schools Investigate Sexual Harassment

Officials of the Ventura Unified School District have formed an investigative panel to look into charges of inappropriate sexual misconduct among teachers, students and staff.

Mary George, director of curriculum and instruction, and Tom Stoddart, supervisor of vocation education, have been named to head up the team, said district spokesman Gerald Dannenberg. Two others, including one administrator and one teacher, are expected to join later, he said.

Members of the team will investigate complaints of sexual harassment and report back to the school board and, if necessary, law enforcement officials, Dannenberg said.

“They can take whatever appropriate action is needed, whether it be a written warning, or suspension or termination of an employee,” he said. “The intent is for the harassment to stop.”

Working with an attorney, Dannenberg said the team will put together a set of questions that can be asked of potential harassment victims to determine whether there is a legitimate complaint. He said a handbook and video are also being developed to better inform teachers and staff about the issue of sexual harassment.

The formation of the investigative team comes on the heels of the conviction last month of Harvey Kochel, a Ventura High School teacher and football coach who pleaded guilty to having sex with a teen-age student.

Kochel, who had been employed with the district since 1973, was placed on unpaid leave after he was arrested and charged with the felony crimes on Sept. 15. The 48-year-old coach, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison.

Dannenberg noted that the school district had been planning to form the investigative panel since the beginning of the year, before Kochel’s arrest.