Counselor Focus of Misconduct Probe

A California Youth Authority counselor is the focus of a misconduct probe after five female wards allegedly engaged in sexual relations while they were under his supervision, officials said Thursday.

The internal affairs investigation began Tuesday after a ward made a report to a counselor, Ventura Youth Correctional Facility spokeswoman Cynthia Brown said.

The sexual misconduct allegedly occurred about two weeks ago in the recreational yard of the Camarillo youth jail, Brown said. If the claims are substantiated, the counselor would face disciplinary action.

The Ventura School has been plagued with controversy since 1997, when state lawmakers accused the Youth Authority of covering up inmate rapes by guards. That prompted a two-year investigation by the state inspector general’s office, which reported the Ventura School had a “systemic problem” of lax management that minimized sexual misconduct by employees.

As a result, 15 employees have been fired or forced to resign for having improper relations with inmates. One former teacher at the school pleaded guilty in June to three felony charges of having unlawful oral sex with two female inmates.