Simi teacher arrested: A Former Sixth-Grade teacher Malia Brooks, 32, is accused of having a sexual relationship with a student under the age of 14 at Garden Grove Elementary School in Simi Valley, where she had worked as a teacher since 2004. She resigned June 5, 2013. She's pictured at her arraignment hearing at the Ventura County Courthouse on June 12, 2013.
As of Myfoxla reports on June 12, A former elementary school teacher in Simi Valley pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges related to an alleged sexual relationship with a student under age 14. The arrest of Malia Brooks, 32, was announced by the Simi Valley Police Department on Tuesday evening. She had been a sixth-grade teacher at Garden Grove Elementary School since 2004, police and school district officials said at a Wednesday morning news conference.
Brooks faces one charge of lewd act upon a child, one count of oral copulation of a person under 14, and three counts of genital penetration by a foreign object with a person under 14 years of age when the suspect is more than 10 years older than the victim. The single alleged male victim was a student at the school, but officials would not say if he was in Brooks’ classes. The school ranges from kindergarten through sixth grade. Brooks’ bail was initially set at $2 million. She pleaded not guilty during an arraignment hearing Wednesday morning at Ventura County Superior Court.
Outside the courtroom, her attorney, Ron Bamieh, said Brooks "has suffered from a mental illness." "We've had her diagnosed and she's in treatment," Bamieh said. "My guess is a lot of the charges precipitated from that illness." Simi Valley police said they were alerted to the alleged inappropriate relationship on Feb. 22 by school officials, who said the conduct had been going on for several months. School officials would not say how they found out about the relationship. Brooks resigned June 5, officials said at the news conference. She is pictured below at right in her booking photo.
It was not clear whether the alleged sexual relations occurred on campus. The Simi Valley Unified School District Superintendent Kathy Scroggin said in prepared statement Wednesday that Brooks "has been evaluated until now as an exemplary teacher." Brooks taught at the school's Impact Academy, from which she was placed on paid administrative leave on Feb. 21, the district said.
"I would like to reassure parents and guardians that the school and District has taken every precaution to ensure the safety of students and staff at our schools," the district said in the statement from Assistant Superintendent Cary Dritz. "There were no indications that Malia Brooks had other victims," the Simi Valley Police Department said in a news release Wednesday. The release said police had "negotiated with Brooks and she surrendered to authorities at the Simi Valley Police Station at 4:00 p.m. on June 11."
As of Myfoxla reports on June 12, A former elementary school teacher in Simi Valley pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges related to an alleged sexual relationship with a student under age 14. The arrest of Malia Brooks, 32, was announced by the Simi Valley Police Department on Tuesday evening. She had been a sixth-grade teacher at Garden Grove Elementary School since 2004, police and school district officials said at a Wednesday morning news conference.
Brooks faces one charge of lewd act upon a child, one count of oral copulation of a person under 14, and three counts of genital penetration by a foreign object with a person under 14 years of age when the suspect is more than 10 years older than the victim. The single alleged male victim was a student at the school, but officials would not say if he was in Brooks’ classes. The school ranges from kindergarten through sixth grade. Brooks’ bail was initially set at $2 million. She pleaded not guilty during an arraignment hearing Wednesday morning at Ventura County Superior Court.
Outside the courtroom, her attorney, Ron Bamieh, said Brooks "has suffered from a mental illness." "We've had her diagnosed and she's in treatment," Bamieh said. "My guess is a lot of the charges precipitated from that illness." Simi Valley police said they were alerted to the alleged inappropriate relationship on Feb. 22 by school officials, who said the conduct had been going on for several months. School officials would not say how they found out about the relationship. Brooks resigned June 5, officials said at the news conference. She is pictured below at right in her booking photo.
It was not clear whether the alleged sexual relations occurred on campus. The Simi Valley Unified School District Superintendent Kathy Scroggin said in prepared statement Wednesday that Brooks "has been evaluated until now as an exemplary teacher." Brooks taught at the school's Impact Academy, from which she was placed on paid administrative leave on Feb. 21, the district said.
"I would like to reassure parents and guardians that the school and District has taken every precaution to ensure the safety of students and staff at our schools," the district said in the statement from Assistant Superintendent Cary Dritz. "There were no indications that Malia Brooks had other victims," the Simi Valley Police Department said in a news release Wednesday. The release said police had "negotiated with Brooks and she surrendered to authorities at the Simi Valley Police Station at 4:00 p.m. on June 11."