San Jose

Donations Double at Presentation High as New Accusations Emerge About Principal's Actions

Just hours after Presentation High school announced success in an annual fundraiser, critics of the school say a new parent has come forward with claims the principal failed to call police after a teacher was accused of fondling an underage student.

Embattled all girls Catholic school Presentation High in San Jose is under scrutiny once again for new allegations stemming from 2004 involving a performing arts teacher. 

Former students and alumni who are part of the "Make Pres Safe" movement say a parent has come forward with claims that the high school "refused to follow mandated reporting laws that protect children and failed to notify law enforcement about sexual abuse allegations" involving an instructor.

They say that teacher was "allowed to not only quietly finish out the 2003-2004 school year but he was also allowed to teach during the summer of 2004 and continued engaging in predatory behavior, despite numerous sexual abuse allegations and after his own admission in the presence of Mary Miller, Principal at Presentation and parents of the victims, that he had inappropriately fondled an underage student."

Sam Singer, spokesman for the school, said in an email to NBC Bay Area, "Presentation followed all the state regulations and fingerprinting required in hiring this particular teacher. He had no record prior to his hiring at PHS."

Singer did not respond to questions about whether Miller or any other administrators were informed about the teacher in question and why they did not report those claims to police.

That teacher was later convicted of child molestation and pornography charges in 2014 while teaching at another private school in San Mateo.

The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit first broke the story about sex abuse allegations at Presentation High last fall dating back decades involving numerous students and teachers.

Meanwhile, donors have poured in financial support to the school of roughly 800 girls, where tuition runs about $20,000 a year. In a statement the school announced it broke all records for fundraising, bringing in $116 thousand this year, nearly double the $59,000 from last year.

Alumnae director Kristin Cooke Schneider said "It's nice to see these misleading claims not only haven’t made a dent in our reputation, they have encouraged people to stand up and fight the falsehoods by voting … with their wallets."

San Jose police confirmed to NBC Bay Area they are currently investigating whether anyone at Presentation failed to properly report sexual abuse allegations as required by state law.

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