District didn't notify state of teacher dismissal

The Los Angeles Unified School District says it broke a state law by waiting a year to tell a teacher-credentialing agency that it was firing an instructor under investigation for alleged lewd acts with students.

Superintendent John Deasy (DAYE'-see) tells public radio station KPCC he's launched a probe into why the district failed to meet the 30-day notification deadline after Mark Berndt was dismissed in February 2011. Berndt appealed but later agreed to resign.

The state Commission on Teacher Credentialing was only notified last month after Berndt was arrested and charged with committing lewd acts with 23 students in his class at Miramonte Elementary School.

The commission suspended his license immediately but says the late reporting posed a potential risk to student safety.

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Information from: KPCC-FM, http://www.scpr.org/

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