Counselor Sentenced for Fondling Student
A Gardena High School counselor was sentenced Friday to a program of psychological therapy and 45 days of freeway cleanup after he pleaded no contest to two counts of battery for fondling a student.
William Partridge, 60, was accused of approaching a 15-year-old girl from behind during private counseling sessions last fall, putting his arms around her and fondling her breasts and buttocks through her clothing, Deputy City Atty. Michele Anderson said.
The girl told officials that Partridge first touched her Sept. 3 after she enrolled for the fall term. The incidents happened several other times between then and Nov. 1, when the girl and her mother filed a complaint with the school.
Partridge’s attorney could not be reached for comment. School district officials said Partridge was assigned to duties away from students after the complaint was filed. Partridge told attorneys and a judge Friday morning that he plans to resign his post, Anderson said.
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