San Jose parents push school on sexual assault details

San Jose parents are demanding transparency from a local school district they said has provided few details about a teacher’s arrest for sexual assault last fall.

Music teacher Israel Santiago, who taught at Adelante Dual Language Academy in Alum Rock Union Elementary School District, was charged for alleged sexual assault against minors at the end of last year. Since then, the district has shared limited information about the allegations, and only after persistent pressure from families to learn more is a meeting scheduled with Adelante parents this evening.

Santiago, 43 of Morgan Hill, was arrested in November on multiple counts of sexual assault and annoying or molesting children under the age of 12, according to the San Jose Police Department.  At least 10 children came forward about inappropriate behavior that occurred in the school’s music room, SJPD investigators said. Santiago was arrested, charged and booked into the county jail on Nov. 21, 2022. He remains in custody.

A parent at Adelante Academy, who asked for anonymity citing concerns for her child’s privacy and safety, said she received a call from the school in early November about the incident. It was Maria “Lupita” Gutierrez, the school’s principal at the time, who said the parent’s daughter had expressed feeling uncomfortable with Santiago. The fifth grader described an incident where Santiago picked her up, despite her verbally refusing, and grazed her thigh when putting her down. The parent said the call left her in shock.

“At that moment, I drew a blank and I just wanted to talk to my daughter and make sure she was OK,” the parent told San José Spotlight.

She said the following months have left her feeling even more powerless, as parents have gotten scant communication from Alum Rock Union Elementary School District. A general mass email about Santiago’s arrest was sent out, and follow-up emails mentioned counseling and other resources, she added. But attempts to contact the school or district directly have resulted in vague responses. Gutierrez’s sudden departure in November left parents concerned. The school is currently rotating principals at Adelante.

“It is a sad world that we live in. There are evil people out there, and I don’t hold the district accountable for that person… That’s what he did,” the parent told San José Spotlight. “Enough time has passed, where that leniency that we were giving them at first has been taken advantage of… I want answers.”

Superintendent Hilaria Bauer said the district is providing as much information as possible, and updates are still being sent via Parent Square, the school’s community communication tool. She said several meetings have been held, including two in-person staff meetings and two meetings with the district’s school site councils, which include parents. But according to the Adelante Academy parent, no updates have been provided to the families.

“This situation is sort of day by day and week by week,” Bauer told San José Spotlight. “I share their frustration about not knowing the outcome in the long term, but that is the way it is.”

Board member Minh Pham said another factor is the ongoing San Jose Police Department investigation against Santiago. Pham said district officials are following the recommendations of the police department and district attorney’s office. For now, the district is maintaining communication and providing mental health support for the community, he added.

“There is not much more that the district can do at this time without violating the laws and investigative procedures,” Pham told San José Spotlight. “I want to assure the parents that Alum Rock is doing everything within its authority.”

The Adelante Academy parent said she wants to move forward to ensure situations like the one her daughter faced don’t happen again. She wants more information on current policies and prevention measures, and aims to be involved in that work to improve those measures.

“We don’t even know what is in place currently to say, ‘What can we change? What can be different?’” she told San José Spotlight. “There’s still a lot of frustration… it’s this helplessness I feel for my daughter.”

The Adelante Academy meeting is tonight in-person at 5 p.m. 

Contact Loan-Anh Pham at [email protected] or follow @theLoanAnhLede on Twitter.