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Community reacts to teacher's arrest
By Kelly Wilkinson
Teaching and coaching communities in Sunnyvale gathered together last week to determine how to cope with the news that David Garner, a Peterson Middle School teacher and volunteer youth coach, was arrested on April 12 on charges that involved having sex with a minor.
Jerry Feldman, president of the Sunnyvale Metro Little League Association, where Garner managed an 11- to 12-year-old boys' baseball team, said he has known Garner for 12 years. Feldman's son also played on Garner's baseball team for three years and Feldman had substituted at Peterson Middle School with Garner.
"I'm just as surprised at this as anybody," Feldman said. "He's a good guy and has done some great things."
Feldman said that Garner approached the sports association and offered to step down as team manager when the news broke. An assistant has taken over the manager position for Garner so there will be continuity for the players.
Feldman expressed relief that the charges didn't involve any younger children, and said that he would still trust Garner with kids.
"People make mistakes, and if it's true, it's certainly wrong, but he's still a good person," he said.
Meanwhile, classes at Peterson resumed Tuesday, after an in-service day for teachers on Monday that followed last week's spring break. Paul Perotti, superintendent of Santa Clara Unified School District, said that Peterson's principal was personally addressing all of Garner's classes on Tuesday.
"He's going period by period and reviewing the situation with the students and introducing the substitute teacher," Perotti said. He added that the students will not be told that the charges are of a sexual nature.
"They're being told that he was arrested, that charges have been brought against him, and that until it's resolved, he's no longer their teacher. That's about all they need to hear at this point."
Several teachers said they would not comment on Garner's arrest after a meeting Monday where district officials encouraged them not to talk about the situation.
"It's important that we have one clear voice on this," Perotti said. "We're still waiting to see how the process plays itself out. As a staff, it doesn't behoove us to comment on the situation because who knows which way it will go."
Perotti declined comment.
According to the San Jose Police Department, the consensual sexual relationship took place more than three years ago when the victim, who was one of his former students, was 17 and he was 31. The relationship lasted for three months.
Dave Davies, assistant district attorney for Santa Clara County, said the case has not appeared on the court calendar yet, which won't happen until after it has been determined that there will be some type of litigation. When that becomes clear, a preliminary hearing will be set to determine if there is enough evidence to go to trial. Davies would not comment on the facts of the case, other than to say that the specific charge involved oral copulation with a minor.
Garner willingly surrendered to police on April 17 and was released after posting $100,000 bail. He has been placed on mandatory leave of absence and will not be permitted to return to the school unless he is acquitted.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
