MOORPARK : Teacher in Assault Case Rebuked in ’89

A Moorpark College Spanish teacher, under investigation after a student accused him of sexual battery last month, was reprimanded by college officials in 1989 after a similar accusation, court documents indicate.

Alejandro Paredes was suspended from his teaching position last month in connection with the May 8 incident in his campus office, a source in the Ventura County Community College District said.

District trustees moved to fire Paredes on May 21, and the instructor has 30 days to appeal before the trustees take final action, the source said.

The case has been turned over to the district attorney’s office for review, but no charges have been filed.

Paredes, who has not been arrested, declined to comment Monday night.

Sheriff’s Department officers obtained a search warrant May 15 and seized Paredes’ employment records from the college district personnel office. The records, filed May 29 in Ventura Municipal Court, show the trustees issued a letter of reprimand to Paredes Nov. 9, 1989, for allegedly sexually harassing a student.

After the incident last month, Paredes of Simi Valley acknowledged to college officials “that he has sexual problems regarding his female students,” court documents state. “But, he states he ‘very nearly’ has them under control.”

The 1989 incident involved a female student, but the details were not revealed in the court documents and district officials have refused to comment on the matter. College officials became aware of the incident when the student sent a letter complaining about Paredes.

In the May 8 incident, an 18-year-old student said she had previously taken a class from Paredes and went to his office to talk after running into him on campus, court documents state. In the office, Paredes made advances and immobilized her with his arm, she said. After she yelled for him to stop, she managed to free herself and strike him over the head with her sandal, she said.

As she left, he said: “Let’s be friends. We’re OK, aren’t we? Don’t tell anyone about this,” the documents said.