Two L.A. Teachers Are Accused of Molestation

Two Los Angeles Unified School District teachers have been accused of child sexual molestation in two unrelated cases, authorities said Friday.

A North Hollywood teacher and former Sun Valley church music instructor has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual and child abuse, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said.

David Gray, 53, was arrested Friday on a felony warrant charging him with four counts of sex abuse of a child younger than 15, one count of child abuse, one count of physical abuse of a child and two counts of dissuading a witness, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Ann Marie Wise.

Gray rotated among five district schools in Los Angeles: Los Feliz Elementary, Cheremoya Avenue Elementary, Wilton Place Elementary, Grant Elementary and Pio Pico multilevel school.

Gray, also a former music teacher at Grace Community Church, is suspected of sexually and physically abusing three young family members -- a boy, now 6, and two girls, now 8 and 10, officials said. The abuse allegedly began in December 2000.

Arraignment is scheduled for Monday in Van Nuys Superior Court. He is being held in lieu of $650,000 bail, officials said. If convicted, he faces up to 28 years in prison.

In the second case, a Chatsworth High School teacher is expected to be arraigned March 5 on charges of molesting a 16-year-old female student, authorities said Friday.

Alicia Panelo, 36, of Chatsworth, faces one count each of misdemeanor molestation and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in an incident that occurred last July, said Frank Mateljan of the Los Angeles city attorney’s office. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail, Mateljan said.

Panelo, who teaches English and literature at Chatsworth High School, has worked for L.A. Unified since 1996, said Ellen Morgan, a district spokeswoman. Panelo has been on unpaid leave since she was charged Jan. 30.