Ex-School Principal Pleads No Contest to Sexual Battery

In an attempt to salvage his career, a former Simi Valley elementary school principal has pleaded no contest to the lesser of two sex charges involving an encounter with an undercover male sheriff’s deputy in Thousand Oaks.

Brian Douglas Ross, 48, admitted a charge of sexual battery in exchange for having a lewd conduct count dismissed.

Municipal Judge Art Gutierrez placed Ross on three years’ probation and ordered him to spend 10 days in the county’s work release program, where he will be assigned various tasks, such as cleaning up roadsides.

Although both charges are misdemeanors, conviction of lewd conduct would have meant automatic revocation of Ross’ teaching credential, but such action is discretionary for sexual battery, officials said.

Ross was removed from his job as principal at Simi Valley Elementary School after school officials learned of his Dec. 16 arrest. He has since been replaced.

The criminal charges accused Ross of lewd conduct for allegedly exposing himself to the undercover deputy and sexual battery for grabbing the officer’s crotch. The incident occurred about 10 p.m. in the California Botanic Garden, which is part of Conejo Recreation Park in Thousand Oaks, Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard E. Simon said.

Supt. Robert Purvis of the Simi Valley Unified School District said the school board will decide Ross’ employment status and the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing will determine if Ross will lose his license.

District officials are still gathering information on the case, Purvis said, and a final decision by the state could be months away.

Ross remains on unpaid administrative leave, Purvis said.

Ross’ attorney, Richard Loy, said his client intends to leave the area and has no plans to teach “in the short term.” Loy said he advised Ross to plead no contest to the sexual battery charge because it leaves him with “a much better chance of being able to keep his license.”

Simon said his office did not care which charge Ross pleaded to because “the two carry the same sentence.”

“Basically, I didn’t really investigate what effects it would have,” Simon said. “I figured the school board would handle it.”

Loy said Ross, an educator for 25 years, chose to plead rather than go to trial because “all he cared about was relieving the stress on his family.”

“This guy’s been crushed, absolutely crushed,” Loy said. “Mr. Ross is probably the most devastated guy I have seen.”

As a condition of his probation, Ross is not allowed to return to the botanical garden or the park where the incident occurred, Simon said.