On Monday March 11th, ESC noticed a blurb on the March 8th South San Francisco Police Department Media Bulletin stating the assistant principal had contacted the police and requested they remove a teacher from campus as he had been pushing students.
When we asks our Facebook friends for more information, there was a lot of speculation yet many students did name Mr. Salazar. We greatly appreciate the update by San Mateo Daily Journal reporter BILL SILVERFAB for letting us know what transpired:
Parkway Heights Middle School teacher arrested for cruelty in South San Francisco March 15, 2013, 05:00 AM By Bill Silverfarb Daily Journal
A teacher at Parkway Heights Middle School in South San Francisco was arrested for cruelty after he allegedly pushed some students during a class activity, according to police and the school’s principal.
Fernando Salazar, 51, allegedly lost control of his class March 8 and was physically trying to eject students who he felt were being disruptive, according to South San Francisco police.
It was reported to the principal and, based on the circumstances, Salazar was placed under arrest for willful cruelty to a child, according to police.
He was also put on immediate administrative leave, according to a letter sent to parents by school Principal Marco Lopez.
In the letter, Lopez writes “some Parkway Heights students reported to me that one of their teachers had behaved inappropriately by pushing them during a class activity.”
Lopez then notified police and the district, according to the letter.
Salazar taught one elective and was on campus for four periods a day. The school hired a substitute to handle Salazar’s classes this past week while the school seeks a “highly qualified teacher to cover the elective class for the remainder of the school year,” according to the letter.
Salazar faces three misdemeanors related to the incident and was released on their own recognizance, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
He is due back in court April 9.
silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com
(650) 344-5200 ext. 106