LA School Replacing Entire Staff After Sex Raps

The entire staff of a Los Angeles-area elementary school will be replaced while sexual abuse charges against two teachers are investigated. No one else at Miramonte Elementary School—which has been closed for two days—is suspected of abusing children, but a drastic change was needed in order to restore parents' confidence in the school, officials tell the Los Angeles Times.

Some 100 teachers and 50 administrative staffers are leaving the school and being replaced by some of the thousands of teachers and support staff laid off over the last few years. Many of the teachers should eventually be able to return to the school, according to officials. Miramonte, one of the country's largest elementary schools with some 1,500 students, was plunged into crisis when teacher Mark Berndt was arrested for allegedly feeding his semen to at least 23 blindfolded students over several years. Days later, his colleague Mark Springer was arrested for allegedly fondling his students. (More Miramonte Elementary School stories.)