Most teachers devote their careers to molding the minds of the country’s youth and would go to great lengths to protect them. Unfortunately, every once in a while, a bad apple shows up in the bunch. This is what happened at Brentwood High School, according to a lawsuit that was recently filed against what’s been dubbed the ‘elite establishment’ at Brentwood High School. The suit was filed by a former student earlier this month and alleges the elite establishment stood by and did nothing while a former teacher, Aimee Palmitessa, subjected the student to “repeated inappropriate sexual acts at several different locations.” In an effort to protect the student’s identity, he is referred to through the lawsuit as John Doe.
Most teachers devote their careers to molding the minds of the country’s youth and would go to great lengths to protect them. Unfortunately, every once in a while, a bad apple shows up in the bunch. This is what happened at Brentwood High School, according to a lawsuit that was recently filed against what’s been dubbed the ‘elite establishment’ at Brentwood High School. The suit was filed by a former student earlier this month and alleges the elite establishment stood by and did nothing while a former teacher, Aimee Palmitessa, subjected the student to “repeated inappropriate sexual acts at several different locations.” In an effort to protect the student’s identity, he is referred to through the lawsuit as John Doe.
The student decided to file the lawsuit against the school only after he sought help from the school counselor. Instead of taking action against the teacher’s actions, though, the school counselor allegedly encouraged him to pursue the relationship. From there, the student “alerted authorities about the sexual abuse” and Palmitessa was charged in 2017 with “unlawful intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, and sexual penetration by a foreign object.” After her arrest, she was “held on $230,000 bail.” According to the suit, the alleged sexual abuse occurred between June 2017 and August 2017. If convicted, Palmitessa could face up to 10 years in federal prison.
Shortly after Palmitessa’s arrest, the Head of Brentwood School, Dr. Mike Reira, issued the following statement:
“We were shocked and distressed to receive the news of these allegations. As always, our primary concern is the safety, health, and well-being of our students here at Brentwood School. To that end, we will do everything we can to cooperate with the official police investigation. We appreciate the importance of transparency and will keep our school community informed to the extent we can give our concern for the student, as well as our respect for privacy laws and the integrity of the LAPD’s investigation. On behalf of our students and their families, we urge media and other observers to avoid posting photos that include Brentwood students who are in no way involved in these allegations. Please afford them the care and protection you would expect for your own children.”
Prior to her arrest, Palmitessa worked as a High School biology teacher for Brentwood for nine years. Before becoming a teacher, she attended Penn State where she received a Doctorate in biochemistry and microbiology.
For those who aren’t familiar with the elite Brentwood High School, the yearly tuition for a student to attend clocks in around $41,000. It also regularly churns out famous alums, including celebrities Jonah Hill and Adam Levin.
Sources:
Lawsuit Filed Against Brentwood School
Ex-student sues elite Brentwood School after teacher is charged with sexually abusing him
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