Though police have assured parents that a Catholic school in Whittier is "very safe," some are still concerned after learning recently that the principal has a stalker, and the shootings in Newtown have prompted increased worry.
The matter came to light at St. Bruno Catholic School last month after a former teacher sent a mass email to parents detailing a deranged man who had harassed Principal Catherine Carvalho.
A private parent meeting was set for 7 p.m. Thursday, the first in a series of gatherings.
A man named Ronald S. Martinez has been stalking her for decades, court documents show. He was arrested and convicted for stalking in November, serving 50 days in jail.
The man had come to campus, and parents were upset that they had not been warned about him.
Whittier police at the time said the man was not a threat but had only provided "unwanted attention" to Carvalho.
Controversy continues at the school, the Whittier Daily News reported Wednesday, saying some parents are seeking Carvalho's dismissal after the killing at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., raised additional safety concerns.
Tod Tamberg, spokesman for the Los Angeles Archdiocese, said Thursday that a safety committee has been established for the parish.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The committee, he said, "will address concerns, quash unfounded rumors and bolster confidence that some parents' concerns about school safety are being addressed."
Martinez, who has moved to the Las Vegas area, is due in court Jan. 8 for a mental health evaluation.
