Fired Educator Pleads Innocent to Sex Charge

A former vice principal at Rancho Alamitos High School in Garden Grove pleaded not guilty Thursday to impregnating a student, a secret the pair apparently kept for two years, authorities say.

Miguel Vivanco, 42, of Costa Mesa is charged with having sex with a 17-year-old in 1996 who subsequently gave birth and who is pregnant with another child of his, police said.

Vivanco, who had arranged to surrender to authorities at the courthouse in Westminster, was released on his own recognizance after the hearing.

He resigned from his job on March 13, the same day school officials took the case to police.

“This case was brought to the district’s attention a few days prior to [Vivanco’s] resignation,” said Alan Trudell, a spokesman for the Garden Grove Unified School District. “We acted immediately to notify the appropriate agencies as soon as we could.”

According to court records, Vivanco and his wife, Tina Michelle, 29, married 10 years ago and have three daughters, ages 2 to 9. She had attended Santiago High School in Garden Grove while Vivanco was working for the same school district, but Trudell did not know whether the pair had met while she was a student.

Vivanco was hired by the school district in 1984. He has served as vice principal at Ranchos Alamitos since 1994, and his duties include overseeing scheduling, athletics and disciplinary matters, Trudell said.

District officials, he said, had heard nothing of the alleged relationship between Vivanco and the student. He would not say how it came to their attention.

“We require and maintain the highest standard of conduct,” Trudell said. “If that is compromised, then we need to and will take the appropriate action.”

Students interviewed at the school said Thursday that the news had caused an uproar.

“It’s all people talk about,” said a 16-year-old junior at Alamitos.

While some were appalled by the reports, others defended Vivanco as a caring and good-natured school administrator who helped them through tough times.

“A lot of people probably wouldn’t have graduated if not for him,” said a 16-year-old junior. She said he had encouraged students to do their best, helped build their confidence and, as vice principal, had given them second chances when they got into academic trouble.

In releasing Vivanco without bail, West Orange County Municipal Judge Michael McCartin cited his lack of a criminal record and his decision to surrender. Prosecutors had asked the judge to set bail at least at $10,000.

Neither Deputy Dist. Atty. Rebecca Heinlein nor David Zimmerman, a deputy public defender representing Vivanco, would comment on the case.

After the hearing, Vivanco walked past a swarm of reporters and cameras without comment. He was ordered to return to the Westminster courthouse June 22 for a hearing to determine whether he should stand trial.

If convicted, he will face a maximum of three years and eight months in jail.