Police suspect the substitute janitor was drunk on the job
A substitute custodian was arrested at Ruby Bridges Elementary School on Tuesday, July 1, at approximately 8:50 a.m., after a student reported to her parents that the man made “inappropriate comments” to her, according to a letter issued by Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi.
AUSD officials acted quickly.
“The Alameda Police Department was contacted, and officers were rapidly dispatched to the school,” Scuderi stated.
APD officers suspected the custodian was drunk, and the comments made to the young girl were “sexual in nature,” the East Bay Times reported.
“Following an investigation, the substitute employee was arrested on charges of public intoxication and harassment of a minor,” Scuderi’s letter stated. “That employee has also been terminated from employment with AUSD.”
The custodian was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of public intoxication and annoying or molesting a victim under the age of 18, according to records noted in the Times report. Bail was set at $7,500. The man remained in custody Tuesday afternoon, the report stated.
Scuderi’s letter emphasized that student safety is AUSD’s top priority.
“All of our employees, both permanent and substitute, are fingerprinted and undergo background checks,” the superintendent stated. “We take any concerns that arise despite that pre-employment screening extremely seriously. We act swiftly, decisively, and in accordance with all legal and ethical standards to address any inappropriate conduct directed towards our students and staff.”
The superintendent also commended the student who was approached by the substitute custodian for quickly contacting her parents when she felt unsafe. “We often tell our students that if they ‘see something’ they should ‘say something’ to a trusted adult. In this case, the student did just that.”
Scuderi asked parents to review this type of scenario with their kids “so that they feel similarly empowered to report inappropriate conduct or communication with you, as well as trusted adults on campus, should that type of situation ever occur.”
Noting that he sent the letter not to alarm parents, “but to be transparent and open with our community about events like these and our responses,” Scuderi advised parents whose child or children may have witnessed police officers at Ruby Bridges on Tuesday, to stay calm and say something simple, such as “an adult at the school broke a law and the police came to talk to them.”
He noted, “You can also remind your students that they are safe at school, because there are so many caring adults watching out for them and if they ever feel unsafe, they can tell a trusted adult.”
In a statement to the Alameda Post, Senior Manager of Community Affairs Susan Davis assured “AUSD takes all reports of inappropriate conduct extremely seriously and responds to such reports immediately.”
“We appreciate the quick action of the student and family involved in this incident, as well as the rapid response of the Alameda Police Department,” the statement continued. “While we vet all employees carefully, we ask that families remind their students that if they ‘see something’ (or feel something) unsafe, they should ‘say something’ to a trusted adult as quickly as possible. That kind of communication and trust helps us address reports of inappropriate conduct quickly and build strong, safe communities for all.”
