Teacher on leave over massage claims - U-T San Diego

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CHULA VISTA — A veteran third-grade teacher at Salt Creek Elementary School in Chula Vista who was placed on leave for allegedly soliciting massages from her students in exchange for “class dollars†will not finish the school year after more parents complained when she returned to the classroom.
Stephenie Parker-Petitt, 40, had been on administrative leave since Jan. 31. She reported back to work Monday and taught her class after investigations by the Chula Vista Elementary School District and the Chula Vista Police Department revealed no criminal or sexual conduct.
Chula Vista police Capt. Lon Turner said three complaints were initially reported to police. Two of the reporting parties allowed police to interview their children; a third parent did not, he said.
“The information that was taken did not rise to criminal conduct, but instead is being handled administratively,†Turner said. “There was no sexual nature behind these massages.â€
New complaints from parents Monday prompted the school district to again remove Parker-Petitt from the classroom. On Thursday, school district spokesman Anthony Millican said the district could not discuss personnel actions, but the employee “was not in a position with children.â€
Nearly a dozen parents angry over not being informed in the first place by school or district staff of Parker-Petitt’s leave, the reason for it, or her return, met Monday night at the elementary school with Principal Lalaine Perez, Millican and a district executive director.
“When new allegations were made, we opened a second investigation,†Millican said.
Andy Stumpf, whose son is in Parker-Petitt’s class, said he and other parents began suspecting something was wrong when their children started coming home with no homework and talked of having a different substitute teacher every day.
“Originally, our desire was to talk to the principal about the teaching standards,†Stumpf said of Monday’s meeting. “We just happened to find out she was back in the classroom that day.â€
Stumpf said Parker-Petitt would give “extra class dollars to students who would massage her legs, arms and shoulders and play with her hair. It was not uncommon to have seven children massaging her at one time.â€
Perez sent a letter to parents Thursday to inform them a fully credentialed teacher would be assigned for the rest of the year. The letter said all allegations were being investigated and the conduct at issue had not been found to be sexual in nature.
“I can assure you that what the children had reported is not behavior that is tolerated by the District and that we will continue to explore and implement measures to address the conduct described in the complaints,†Perez wrote.