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Parents Threatening To Keep Kids Home From Miramonte Elementary School On Monday

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Parents of students at a South Los Angeles elementary school are outraged after finding out that two teachers have allegedly been preying on their children, possibly for years.

And some of those parents are talking about keeping their kids home on Monday as a sign of protest.

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy says he is sickened by both cases, CBS2's Joy Benedict reports.

"These two teachers broke a sacred trust. It's despicable and I hope they're punished for the rest of their lives," Deasy said. "The issue here is the disgust and horror of an act of an individual, not a community."

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Martin Springer, 49, of Alhambra was the second Miramonte Elementary School teacher accused of sexual misconduct in the same week.

No charges have been filed against Springer, who was being held on $2 million bond after allegations surfaced that he fondled two young girls in the classroom.

Investigators say the incident happened in the last three years when the two girls were around 7 years old.

Springer's arrest Friday followed the arrest of fellow teacher Mark Berndt. Officials say Berndt photographed young girls in bondage-type poses, some allegedly involving cockroaches being placed on their faces.

There were also accusations that Berndt photographed students being served cookies and other things that allegedly contained his bodily fluid.

Berndt is being charged with 23 counts of lewd acts on children and was being held on $23 million bond. His arrest followed a year-long investigation.

According to prosecutors, there is no evidence at this time to suggest that the two cases are at all connected.

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