AUBURN, Calif. — The Placer Union High School District (PUHSD) began investigating a "concern" regarding a teacher at Placer High School after receiving anonymous tip on April 27, according the PUHSD.
"The concern was received through an anonymous online tip portal provided to staff and students," according to statement from PUHSD. "As the concern is investigated and in abundance of caution, the District has put the teacher on administrative leave."
A student enrolled in the teacher's class spoke with ABC10 on the condition of anonymity. The student said he has spoken with the person who witnessed and filmed the alleged incident. He said he has also watched the video, which is now circulating campus.
The video in question was recorded over the top of a bathroom stall with a cellphone, clearly showing his teacher masturbating to images on a cellphone, the student said. The student said the incident took place in a bathroom typically used by students, despite educators being provided access to private bathrooms with keys.
"This is my teacher doing this. He could have done that privately but chose to do it in a public bathroom," the Placer High School student said.
The school district is also investigating the questions behind the recording itself as well.
"Its illegal for a person to take a video in an area in which a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Accordingly, the district would notify law enforcement and hold an individual accountable to its code of conduct," the district told ABC10.
The student said he feels the district did not take the matter seriously enough.
“This is children’s safety, and you’d rather take your school reputation over a child’s safety," the student said.
Attorney March Reichel said the student who recorded the video could actually face legal consequences.
"Yeah, in California, honestly, it's illegal to tape somebody in a bathroom stall. You can't tape record them in a bathroom stall. It's a California crime. There's no two ways about that," Reichel said.
Officials with the PUHSD said they could not comment further on the matter due to law prohibiting the district from disclosing personnel information and will not comment further on the matter. However, school officials are required to report crime data to the California Board of Education.
The district's guidelines for behavior laid out in the student handbook prohibits acts of "physical conduct of a sexual nature." District officials have yet to confirm the nature of their investigation or the incident.
District officials said they take all concerns, complaints or allegations seriously to ensure an educational environment that is safe and nurturing. Students can report an incident through an online portal and are encouraged to do so by the district.
Students say officers with the Auburn Police Department were seen on campus the day of the incident. The department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it is unclear if a criminal investigation is active in the case.
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