Two adult male teachers have been arrested in separate incidents involving female students at the schools they taught at, according to the San Jose Police Department. The incidents occurred independently of one another, with one arrest related to an incident last year and the other involving a delayed report from 2002-2003.
The first arrest involves 28-year-old Giovanny La Torre, a resident of San Jose and a teacher at ACE Empower Academy. La Torre was taken into custody on charges of annoying or molesting a minor. The arrest stems from an incident that took place on December 13, 2023, when San Jose PD patrol officers responded to a report of a man annoying or molesting a girl on the 600 block of South Sunset Avenue. The investigation conducted by the SJPD Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force revealed that La Torre had engaged in inappropriate electronic and handwritten communications with the juvenile student. La Torre was located and arrested on March 20 in San Jose, subsequently being booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail.
In an unrelated incident, 56-year-old Shawn Thomas, a resident of Los Gatos, was arrested in connection to a delayed report of sexual assault of a minor that occurred between 2002 and 2003. Thomas, who was a teacher at Leigh High School during that time, was taken into custody on charges of rape and sexual assault of a minor. The victim in this case was also a female student at the school. Thomas, who was working as a teacher at Leigh High and a football and track and field coach at Los Gatos High School at the time of his arrest, was apprehended on March 22 in San Jose. He was subsequently booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail.
KRON4 has reached out to ACE Empower Academy and Leigh High School for comment but has not received a response at this time.
2 Responses
“Education is supposed to be a safe space for students to learn and grow, but incidents like these remind us of the importance of vigilance and accountability within our educational institutions.”
This quote resonates with the post because it highlights the unfortunate reality that even places meant for learning and development can sometimes become compromised by the actions of individuals. It emphasizes the need for schools to prioritize the safety and well-being of their students, ensuring that proper measures are in place to prevent such incidents from occurring. It also
In my own community, there was a case that shocked everyone involving a male teacher and a female student. The incident took place at a local high school where a respected and well-liked teacher was arrested for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with one of his female students.
The teacher, Mr. Johnson, had been teaching at the school for several years and was known for his dedication to his students and his passion for teaching. He was highly respected by both students and colleagues alike. However, behind this facade