Former East L.A. teacher pleads no contest to sexually assaulting 15-year-old student

A former teacher at an East Los Angeles high school pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student, prosecutors announced this week.

Gina Murry, 33, who worked at Esteban Torres High School’s Renaissance Academy, pleaded no contest Tuesday to one count of performing a lewd act on a child and one count of oral copulation of a person under 16 years old, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Murry was arrested Sept. 5, 2018, after the sexual assault allegations surfaced, and she was released the same day on $250,000 bond.

Though she pleaded guilty to just two counts, Murry originally was charged with 18 felonies, including unlawful sexual intercourse and sexual penetration with a foreign object, according to court documents. Prosecutors say the abuse took place between May and June 2018.

Under the initial charges, Murry was facing a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.

Greg Risling, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said Wednesday the other 16 felony counts will be dropped at her sentencing on Jan. 14. She is expected to get two years in prison.

The Los Angeles Unified School District said in a statement after Murry’s arrest it was cooperating with officials after the “disturbing” allegations and reassigned Murry from Torres High.

It’s unclear where Murry was reassigned or whether she is still employed by LAUSD. Administrators could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.