Santa Barbara Charter School addresses how they are handling the controversy with the teacher arrested for secretly recording children
GOLETA, Calif. – A couple weeks ago we spoke with the attorney representing the parents of one of the secretly filmed children at Santa Barbara Charter School .
They are suing both Santa Barbara Charter School and The Santa Barbara Unified School District for negligence.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District wants to make clear it is separate from the charter school, in that the charter school is self governing.
The arrest of 54 year old teacher Steven Schapansky left many shocked.
Unanswered questions ranging from how long Schapansky had been secretly recording students to if he distributed the videos sparked emotions spanning anxiety and frustration to anger and a desire for justice.
“ It's not uncommon with different disasters that we don't have all the information. And so our minds then work to fill in the blanks. So our minds are doing a lot of heavy, heavy work and thinking through things,” said Department of Behavioral Wellness Spokeswoman Suzanne Grimmesey.
Parents and staff have been connected to local resources including Calm, Aha, and The Youthwell.
Department Of Behavioral Wellness spokeswoman Suzanne Grimessey is also helping parents navigate how to talk to their kids about this incident.
“Children inherently model their reactions and how they believe they should feel and respond based on the adults they see around them. And so it's hard sometimes because we adults, we have feelings too, and sometimes they're big feelings. So just being aware of how we're showing our reactions and our emotions and knowing that our kids are using that as a model,” said Grimmesey.
It’s also important to note that this civil lawsuit is separate from the criminal investigation taking place into the former teacher.
We spoke with the District Attorney’s office and Santa Barbara Charter School Principal Laura Donner Monday morning.
Donner said the Sheriff’s Department has asked the school not to provide direct support to the students, as it could impede the ongoing investigation.
Instead, the District Attorney’s office will provide resources to the children impacted by this incident.
When it comes to the civil lawsuit, Donner says all the teachers and staff at the charter school have been lawfully cleared to work—going through criminal background checks and and reference check processes.
“ Part of the pending litigation will deter, you know, have a process of determining if there's fault and where that might fall. And we have our own governing board. We call it the circle of trustees. And so ultimately, things will be decided on or acted on and through our circle of trustees,” said Santa Barbara Charter School Director of Education Laura Donner.
Steven Schapansky is no longer teaching at Santa Barbara Charter School, as his contract
was not renewed earlier this month.
When it comes to possible criminal charges, the District Attorney’s Office says this is part of a larger investigation.
