Tag Archive for: School Safety

Stolen Funds Coming Back to Support Students

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today announced the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has given her office authority to grant $25 million from the Charter School Fraud trust fund to the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) to fund a seven-year, countywide plan to strengthen and expand access to mental health, safety, wellness, and educational supports for K-12 students and their families. The community-responsive plan focuses on the unique strengths and needs of each region in order to connect needed resources to students experiencing homelessness and other youth who can thrive with additional support. The Board approved the grant at their January 28 meeting.

WARCH COMPLETE NEWS CONFERENCE, HERE.

“This funding will make a real difference in the lives of K-12 students and their families as they navigate wellness, safety, homelessness and mental health challenges,” said DA Stephan. “I continue to be very proud of our public corruption/consumer protection expert prosecution team that delivered justice in the A3 Charter Schools criminal case and now, we’re seeing how the trust fund established as a result of the case is impacting the community in positive ways, funneling the money stolen by the defendants back to deserving young people in our schools.”

Funds for the grant originate from criminal fines imposed in the landmark A3 Charter Schools fraud case which was prosecuted by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. In all, more than $280 million in stolen funds were recovered. The judge who oversaw the case ordered a portion of the fines to be paid to the County of San Diego now, a portion to be paid to victims in kindergarten through 12th grade, and a portion to be paid to the state of California.

Under a resolution passed unanimously by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 2021, the fines imposed by the court related to this case were earmarked and exclusively dedicated to programs that directly serve the needs of kindergarten through 12th grade students in San Diego County. The funds are not intended for County operational programs, but rather to support community-serving, education-focused initiatives, consistent with the court’s intent. After disbursement of the $25 million grant, the Charter School Fraud trust fund will have $5 million remaining in it. Superior Court Judge Fred Link who masterfully presided over the criminal case issued clear guidance regarding the monies recovered and this meets the direction by the court.

The Board’s recommendation authorizes the District Attorney’s Office to continue administering its Community Grant Program (CGP) and award the one-time $25 million grant to SDCOE to implement the HeartSpire initiative, a seven-year, countywide plan. This action builds on prior Board approvals related to the CGP and the Charter School Fraud trust fund. The $25 million is actually an aggregate of several $2.2 million to $3.8 million grants each over seven school years.

The SDCOE HeartSpire initiative is designed to connect and amplify the work happening at school sites and in county services across all five supervisorial districts. Consistent with prior K-12 grant actions, the focus is on equitable access and regional coverage, rather than limiting investments to a single geographic area.

“We are grateful the DA has entrusted SDCOE with this opportunity to build upon our efforts to positively impact students, families, and communities throughout the county,” said Dr. Gloria E. Ciriza, San Diego County superintendent of schools. “HeartSpire is rooted in the belief that human connection, mental health, and relational infrastructure are essential to thriving educational systems. Accordingly, this grant will align the DA’s Office, schools, County Health and Human Services, and community-based organizations to offer integrated services that make a real difference for students and families.”

Following establishment of the trust fund, a multi-department stakeholder workgroup with representatives from the District Attorney’s Office, Behavioral Health Services, County Office of Equity & Racial Justice, and Department of Child & Family Well-Being reviewed options for use of the funds. Based on those discussions, an initial phase of 47 K-12 community grants totaling approximately $6.4 million was awarded in 2022. Those grants supported literacy, tutoring, mentoring, youth leadership, and mental health and wellness services. The initial grant activity informed subsequent consideration of opportunities for a more coordinated, regional approach, leading to the SDCOE HeartSpire proposal.

The County’s existing stakeholder workgroup will have opportunities to review program progress, milestones, and updates as implementation proceeds, particularly in advance of future funding periods within the seven-year plan.

The DA’s Community Grant Program (CGP) originated from early crime-reduction and prevention efforts and was later expanded by the Board to include education- and prevention-focused K–12 initiatives, including grants funded through the Charter School Fraud trust fund. The HeartSpire proposal represents a continuation of that evolution, while maintaining the CGP’s core purpose of supporting community-based solutions that promote safety, wellness, and opportunity.

Man Who Threatened School with Mass Shooting Found Guilty by a Jury

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that a man who threatened a mass shooting at Shoal Creek Elementary School in Carmel Mountain Ranch has been convicted by a jury of one felony count of making a criminal threat. The jury arrived at this just verdict on October 21.

Lee Lor, 40, sent more than 400 emails to various recipients that threatened he would commit a mass shooting at the school, sending fear through the community in Carmel Mountain and beyond.

“The threat of a mass school shooting has become one of the most unsettling fears we live with each day,” DA Stephan said. “These threats take a real toll on students, teachers, parents, and communities, who are continually confronted with stories and images of school shootings nationwide. I am proud and grateful to our team for fighting for justice for this school and community. This conviction by jury should send a clear message that we will not tolerate anyone criminally attempting to threaten our schools and instill fear in our community.”

In San Diego County, the School Threats Protocol guides school, law enforcement and prosecutorial responses to school threats. The protocol was established in 2018 with law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals, prosecutors, school staff and more to advise the 42 school districts in the County. Last year, the Law Enforcement Coordination Center in San Diego County received 580 school threat suspicious activity reports.

Having this type of coordination is more important than ever to the public’s safety. Teachers and school staff play a critical role in detecting and addressing concerning and threatening behavior.

“When we look back at most school shootings, attackers made threats or exhibited concerning behaviors that were ignored or went unreported,” DA Stephan said. “Our School Threats Protocol highlights the importance of recognizing warning signs, reporting them, and working together to with our community partners to keep everyone safe.”

Lor’s sentencing is set for November 19.

Deputy District Attorneys Savanah Howe and Clay Biddle in the DA’s Superior Court Division prosecuted this case.

 

DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 08-28-25

In this week’s DA News Update: As students return to school this month, District Attorney Summer Stephan emphasizes the importance of school safety and the role each of us plays in protecting children. In light of the recent tragic school shooting in Minneapolis, this message is more urgent than ever: if you see something, say something. Reporting suspected abuse or suspicious behavior can save lives and keep our schools safe.

Photo of gavel and scales of justice.

Former Teacher of the Year Sentenced to Prison for Sexually Abusing Students

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said today that Jacqueline Ma, 36, the former San Diego County Teacher of the Year who taught at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City, has been sentenced to 30 years-to-life in prison for sexually abusing two students.

Ma pleaded guilty on February 5 to two counts of forcible lewd act on a child, one count of lewd act on a child, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material including allegations substantial sexual conduct and having multiple victims. She had been scheduled to stand trial in April.

“This defendant violated the trust she had with her students in the most extreme and traumatic way possible and her actions are despicable,” DA Stephan said. “Her victims will have to deal with a lifetime of negative effects and her 30-year sentence is appropriate. No child deserves what this defendant did and I hope this sentence brings a measure of justice to the victims, their families and the community that was left reeling from this defendant’s crimes.”

In March 2023, the mother of one of the victims found inappropriate messages on a family tablet between the student and teacher. Ma had groomed the minor for over a year before performing sexual acts on the him when he was 12. The parents did not allow the boy to have social media or his own electronics, but Ma was able to get access to him by setting up an unsanctioned after school program and directing him to communicate with her through a school chat application.

The sex acts perpetrated by Ma occurred in her classroom while the parents believed their son was participating in an afterschool basketball program, and the abuse continued for a period of three months. Further investigation found that Ma had targeted and sexually assaulted another student in 2020. That boy was 11at the time. Ma had been grooming young boys with gifts, food and special attention and even completed their homework for them. She also gained the trust of the parents with her reputation and personal investment in their academic development.

Every student in San Diego County deserves to have a safe and nurturing educational environment, free of sexual and physical abuse. But if that kind of abuse does happen, students, parents and teachers can report it directly to the District Attorney’s Office at https://www.sdcda.org/helping/studentsafety/.

Once suspected abuse is reported, the task force members will evaluate and investigate the claim, law enforcement will be notified to investigate allegations when appropriate, and families will be connected with trauma-informed resources and support.

Deputy District Attorney Andrew Hart prosecuted this case.

DA Provides New Resource to Help Prevent School Violence

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced a new resource to help teachers spot red flags that could potentially lead to school violence, including school shootings. In partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, the FBI and the San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center, the District Attorney’s Office produced a web and print-ready brochure that offers tips on what school employees should look for and what to do if they are concerned a student may be a danger to themselves or others.

“Preventing school shootings and keeping our kids and schools safe, often depends on teachers, staff, students and the community reporting concerning behavior to law enforcement,” DA Stephan said. “In San Diego County, we have a protocol that allows us to promptly respond to threats and neutralize them. This new brochure will provide school staff a quick guide on what to look for and how to report it.”

Tips in the brochure, called School Threats: A Resource for Teachers and Staff include how to observe, document and notify when a student may be emulating the behavior of previous school shooters. The resource offers information about what type of written material and social media posts are common among individuals who engage in mass violence.

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff members while on a school campus is integral to student success,” said San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold. “We are thankful to DA Stephan and the FBI for their continued collaboration on supports and interventions that reduce the threat of violence at our schools.”

Since 2018, the District Attorney’s Office has been working to stop those who might carry out threats before they can act, through the School Threats Protocol, which encompasses all 42 school districts in the County. The protocol guides how schools, law enforcement and prosecutors respond to school threats, using evidenced-based guidelines for investigation and resolution of the threat.

The most important revelation from our work in this area is the importance the public plays in warning law enforcement of threats that are made to do harm, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

Last year, the District Attorney’s Office reviewed 48 reports of school threats and filed criminal charges in 10 of those cases. So far this year, there have been 33 cases submitted for review with eight cases being charged. Even when the evidence does not support filing criminal charges, a variety of mental health and other supportive systems are engaged to enhance safety.

“FBI San Diego is committed to supporting our communities in the effort to prevent targeted violence in schools,” said Stacey Moy, Special Agent-in-Charge. “This reporting tool is an important part of our community effort to foster an educational environment wherein school faculty and staff recognize behaviors that are objectively concerning, understand how and where to report them, and feel confident that their reports will be taken seriously and followed up on. FBI is pleased to participate in this effort.”

When the District Attorney’s Office receives a school threats case for review, multiple factors are evaluated to confirm the credibility of a threat once the suspect has been identified, including:

  • Investigate their background, including whether the person made prior threats
  • Look at open-source intelligence such as social media posts
  • Check to see if they have registered guns, have made recent ammunition purchases, or have access to guns
  • Check on whether there has been contact with terrorist organizations
  • Determine whether they have had psychiatric holds or other mental health red flags
  • Research whether the person has had a recent traumatic event or grievance with a particular school or person associated with a school

“The San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center supports and prioritizes the whole community approach with our local enforcement, District Attorney investigators, the FBI and the Educational sector to prevent any school threat,” said Leslie Gardner, Director of the San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center. “We are committed to this ongoing effort and the School Safety Brochure is a valuable resource and guide for teachers and staff members to identify suspicious behavior and know how to report such information.”

Students can also interrupt school violence by reporting anonymously at StudentsSpeakingOut.org.

 

DA Reminds Students to Report Suspected Abuse in Schools

As a new school year begins across the county, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan is reminding parents, teachers and students of a DA website where they can report suspected sexual or physical abuse directly to the District Attorney’s Office. The online reporting system is an additional tool for the public. Once a report is made, members of the DA Student Safety in Schools Systems Task Force will evaluate and investigate the claim. If appropriate, law enforcement will be notified so they can investigate the allegations and families will be connected with trauma-informed resources and support.

“Every student in San Diego County deserves to have a safe and healthy educational environment, free of sexual and physical abuse,” said DA Stephan. “But when that kind of abuse does happen, it’s critical that students, parents and teachers have a trusted way to report it and that those reports don’t fall through the cracks.”

The DA’s Student Safety in School Systems Task Force:

  • Welcomes and receives submissions from any member of the public who is concerned about the safety of students in a school system.
  • Referrals can be reported here on the DA’s public website.
  • Assists any member of the public who is navigating multiple agencies and departments when an incident involving a child has occurred in a school setting
  • Reduces the public’s confusion by giving them direct access to the District Attorney’s Office so allegations and complaints can be tracked.
  • Cross references allegations and complaints with law enforcement, Child Welfare Services, and educational institutions and programs where appropriate.
  • Refers members of the public to services that may be available to those experiencing trauma as a result of an incident that has taken place within a school system.
  • Offers and provides outreach and training to the public on issues and concerns surrounding possible physical and sexual abuse perpetrated by an adult or minor on a student in an educational setting.
  • Criminally prosecutes those who fail to comply with mandated reporting laws where the evidence of such failure is sufficient. Criminally prosecute those who commit physical or sexual abuse if the facts and the law supports it.

Note: This task force does not serve as a substitute for a mandated reporter’s duty to report abuse.  Mandated reporters still must follow their duties under the law to report to the proper authorities under the Penal Code.

Rather, recognizing that gaps existed between the multiple agencies and systems that address abuse, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office created the reporting system in 2019.

The District Attorney’s Office also works closely with school districts across the county to remind mandated reporters of their responsibilities.

“Mandated reporters must make a report when there is any reasonable suspicion of abuse, based on facts,” DA Stephan said. “Mandated reporters typically won’t see the actual sexual abuse, but they often notice “grooming behaviors” that accompany or precede the sexual abuse.”

WATCH: Video Public Service Announcements to report suspected abuse in schools: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3.

DA Joins School Threat Assessment Conference

The FBI and the DA’s Office recently held a school threat assessment conference to improve on the current regional School Safety Protocol. See what was discussed, in this video.