California Teacher Suspended After Facebook Post Supporting Colleagues Accused Of Raping Students
A teacher in West Covina, California, has been suspended over his Facebook post that supported two female teachers who have been charged with having sex with their students.
Sean Patrick Kane of South Hills High School is on paid leave after he posted that the teens who had sex with teachers Melody Lippert and Michelle Ghirelli "should have just kept your stupid mouths shut and enjoyed it."
Lippert, 38, a South Hills High School teacher, and Ghirelli, 30, a district teacher, were arrested by the Orange County Sheriff's Department Special Victims Unit last Jan. 17 on allegations that they had sex with students of their school.
The arrest followed after the West Covina Police Department contacted the sheriff's department which obtained information about the incidents.
In his post, Kane wrote, "I just got one thing to say. As many of you know, especially those of you who were once former students and now adults and are my friends on Facebook and posting about it, two female teachers (colleagues of mine) got arrested for going on summer vacations with and sleeping with some of the male students. Hey...all I gotta say is EVERYONE KNEW Miss...who was the high school algebra teacher."
He added, "All I want to know is what the ... is in the head of the dudes who ... these ladies and then squealed? You should have just kept your stupid mouths shut and enjoyed it."
The Sheriff's Department said last November, Lippert allegedly met a group of male South Hills High School students at San Clemente State Beach. She is accused of providing alcohol to the students and having sex with one of them.
After several weeks, Lippert arranged an overnight camping at the same beach with Ghirelli and several of the same students.
The two are suspected of having sex with two students.
"The camping trip was not a school or district sponsored event," the Sheriff's Department said.
Lippert was arrested on charges of conspiracy and contributing to the delinquency of a minor and is being held on $20,000 bail.
Ghirelli is facing charges of oral copulation and unlawful sex with a minor. Her bail was set at $50,000. They were arraigned last Jan. 21.