Parents Complain About Strip-Search of Students

Parents of children at an Inglewood elementary school were in an uproar Tuesday after learning that students were allegedly strip-searched by a teacher earlier this week because money or property was reported stolen.

Stan Taylor said he filed a complaint with the Inglewood Unified School District after learning that his son and his classmates at La Tijera Elementary were allegedly instructed by their teacher and a security guard Monday to remove their shirts, shoes and socks while they were searched. He said another parent called him Monday night to discuss the incident, and his son confirmed what had happened.

Taylor said his son told him that the boys and girls were separated during the search and that they were not informed about the nature of the search. Taylor said his son said that the incident scared and intimidated many of the students, and many parents have complained to the school.

“He told me that he was OK, but that some of the kids were really embarrassed because they were fat and the other kids made fun of them,” Taylor said. “The emotions had to be running pretty high for these kids, and I don’t want this swept under the rug.”

Principal Yvette Mahorn-Smith said the school district is investigating the incident. She said the matter is considered a personnel issue and that she could not comment further.