People v. Santo CA2/5

I. BACKGROUND

For eleven years, from approximately 2002 to 2013, defendant taught history, psychology, and other subjects at Lindbergh Middle School. Then, after a year at Poly High School, defendant transferred to Jordan High School, where he taught for almost four years (and acted as the school’s athletic director)— until he was put on administrative leave in February 2018. He was later criminally charged in an information with two counts of committing a lewd act on a child under 14 (Pen. Code, § 288, subd. (a)), two counts of assault to commit specified sex offenses (Pen. Code, § 220, subd. (a)(1)), sexual penetration by force (Pen. Code, § 289, subd. (a)(1)(A), and forcible oral copulation (Pen. Code, § 288a, subd. (c)(2)(A)). Trial on the charges proceeded in May 2023.

A. Defendant’s Charged Offense Conduct 1. Committing a lewd act on H.C. (count 6) When H.C. was 13 years old and in eighth grade (2012- 2013), she attended Lindbergh Middle School where defendant was her history teacher. At the beginning of eighth grade, H.C.

2 was performing poorly at school and suffering verbal and physical abuse at home from her alcoholic father. Defendant helped H.C. with her…