A former Miramonte Elementary School teacher who won dismissal of allegations he inappropriately touched a female student sued the Los Angeles Unified School District Tuesday, saying he was forced to resign and that he is entitled to back pay.
Martin Springer filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, asking that he be paid for the two years he was suspended, plus interest.
An LAUSD representative did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously in February 2012 to fire Springer, who had taught at Miramonte for about 25 years.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo dismissed the charges against Springer at the defense’s request in February 2014 after the prosecution announced it could not move forward with the case because the girl did not want to testify, according to Deputy District Attorney Alison Meyers.
Springer’s suit states that he was suspended from February 2012 until the time the charges were dismissed.
“Plaintiff also was entitled to return to work, but LAUSD made it clear that they would fight the restoration of his employment and that he would never be welcomed back to the school district,” the suit states.
“Accordingly, on or about Feb. 20, 2015, plaintiff resigned from his position at LAUSD, having no choice but to resign or face financial ruin in the form of attorneys’ fees he would incur fighting the dismissal proceeding against him.”
The district left Springer’s reputation “in complete tatters” and took from him the vocation that “he loved and to which he had dedicated decades of his life,” the suit states.
Springer should have been given his back pay at the time the charges were dropped, but the LAUSD has refused to give him the money, the suit states.
Springer was arrested shortly after another former Miramonte teacher, Mark Henry Berndt, was arrested based on allegations he took photos of students who were blindfolded, had tape over their mouths and spoons of semen held to their lips.
Berndt pleaded no contest to 23 counts of committing lewd acts on children and was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.
— City News Service