Upland schoolteacher pleads not guilty to molesting six children
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - An Upland schoolteacher accused of molesting six of his students pleaded not guilty to criminal charges Friday in West Valley Superior Court.
James Andrew Megaw, 42, who resigned this week from his position at Valencia Elementary School, was charged Thursday with six counts of committing a lewd act on a child under 14 years old.
Prosecutors say Megaw, of Rancho Cucamonga, inappropriately touched three girls and three boys ranging in age from 7 to 9 years old.
Five of the alleged crimes occurred between Aug. 20 and Oct. 28, and one happened between Aug. 20, 2006 and June 30 2007, said Deputy District Attorney Jason Anderson.
Leonard Levine, Megaw's attorney, said after the hearing that Megaw is in a "state of shock" over the accusations of inappropriate sexual touching.
Prosecutors accuse Megaw of touching the students on the outside of their clothing, Levine said.
"This is a good man who has been falsely accused, and hopefully the truth will come out sooner rather than later," Levine said.
Levine arranged for Megaw to appear out of custody Friday for an arraignment hearing.
At the conclusion of the hearing, a bail bondsman who appeared with Megaw posted $600,000 bail. As a result, Megaw was not handcuffed at the end of Friday's hearing.
But he was ordered by Judge Douglas Elwell to go to West Valley Detention Center to be booked and released. Levine said Megaw would be booked Friday afternoon.
Levine said he expects a preliminary hearing, with possible testimony from the alleged victims, will take place in February.
Megaw, known professionally as Andy Megaw, is the former president of the Upland Teachers Association and held multiple leadership positions with the California Teachers Association.
At Valencia, Megaw taught a class of 20 second- and third-graders, said Gary Rutherford, superintendent of the Upland Unified School District.
Rutherford said Megaw resigned from his position on Tuesday from Valencia Elementary. He had been on leave since October, when the molestation accusations first surfaced, school officials said.
He was hired by the district in 1995, and worked until 1999 as a teacher at Baldy View Elementary School, Rutherford said. From 1999 until he was placed on leave he taught at Valencia, Rutherford said.
Before Megaw was hired, he was subject to a background check that included a fingerprint check through the Department of Justice, Rutherford said.
"We're fully compliant with all state laws regarding screening for employment," Rutherford said.
Rutherford said the district would notify Valencia parents of the charges filed against Megaw through a written notice to be sent Friday.
In the hallway outside the courtroom where Friday's hearing took place, an attorney who said he represented the family of an 8-year-old girl who was victimized by Megaw said he was planning a civil lawsuit against the Upland Unified School District and Megaw.
Ricardo Antonio Perez said the district could be liable for the five alleged acts of molestation since Aug. 20 if administrators were aware of the initial molestation allegation from the previous school year.
Megaw's arrest is the second instance this month of an Upland teacher being accused of molesting his students.
Garrett Ammon, 30, a teacher at the Upland YMCA was, arrested Dec. 12 for allegedly touching a 4-year-old boy's genitals. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The first version of this story incorrectly reported that five of the alleged molestation acts took place between Aug. 20 and Sept. 20. The correct date range is Aug. 20 to Oct. 28. It also incorrectly reported that the first alleged act of molestation occurred between September 2006 and May 2007. The correct date range is Aug. 20, 2006 to June 30, 2007.
I am chester the molester
Touching outside of clothes, are you serious? So what, Mr. Megaw helping to pose the kids for that fantastic Red Ribbon week poster where he photoshopped the kids into activities they loved, was inappropriate? Or helping kids put on their costumes for the beautiful old-fashioned photos mothers have received for Mother's day in the past? Valencia has lost a very creative and awesome teacher.
Notice the article said the parents are now suing the teacher (like a teacher has any money) AND the school district (ah the deep pockets). You can't sue a teacher or a school district because you are disgruntled, but accuse someone of a crime and now you've got a viable lawsuit! The Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil. So true!
We have known Andy for the past eight years. Our families have become very close and we have even traveled together. Andy is a very good man! We are shocked to hear that he could be accused of these acts. We trust him wholeheartedly and pray that the truth will be revealed so that he can be cleared.
Let me get this straight. Valencia Parent believes that groping a child (as long as it's outside the clothes) is just fine if the adult does other nice things for parents. And The Baileys discount multiple children's reports and pray that the truth will be revealed so Megaw can be cleared. I have a feeling the truth has finally been revealed - and I trust the justice system to work on the victim's behalf. With adults like these, no wonder sexual abuse is under reported and pedophiles run free.
"Groping a child" is not in the charges...it says touching a child outside of clothes. My point is you must touch a child to help pose for those photos, not doing nice things to get a chance to touch. Next thing you know, we will be letting kindergarteners pee their pants because no adult will want to help them unbutton their jeans to use the restroom!
I trust the Justice system to work on the behalf of truth - not the alleged victim's behalf. Flabbergasted has already decided the alleged victim needs the justice. Let's hope he or she never gets chosen for a jury with that kind of bias.
Flabbergasted also needs to do a little research into the number of false accusations made against teachers, preschool workers, and other child care providers every year. Sexual abuse is often falsely reported not just under reported. And more often than not, sexual abuse is committed by family members. Most crimes against children - in fact the vast majority - are committed by members of the child's own family. Look up the statistics for yourself. Most pedophiles victimize children they have regular, PRIVATE access to spanning many years. That doesn't mean abuse is never perpetrated by a stranger or someone who abuses the child only once. But this man never inappropriately touched a kid for 15 years as a teacher in the same school district, then all of a sudden 5 children are allegedly abused inside a classroom within 8 weeks?? In fact according to the charges, he abused children a week before there were even children on campus at the school to abuse. Something here just doesn't make sense.
Anon is correct, this doesn't make sense. Interviewing kids often leads to the idea of abuse where there was none too! Valencia is also right, how can a teacher help kids this age without fear of being misjudged? Do they have to become cold, souless, hands-off, distant robots to protect themselves?
Thank goodness I grew up where hugs were OK, a teacher could help clean you up if you got sick, and parents wouldn't jump to conclusions and sue the teacher on a word from a student who maybe got a grade they didn't like. Yes, there was one jerk who dropped things just to look up our skirts...but we avoided him.
An article earlier bemoaned a lack of male teachers at the lower grade levels....DUH! Look at what dangers they face daily! I encouraged my son to go into acting instead of teaching, as coming from a loving, supportive, huggable family, I didn't want to risk having his natural upbringing come into question!
I agree with Anonymous. 15 years of teaching and nothing ever surfaces, and all of a sudden 5 kids in 8 weeks. The only thing that adds up here is the money they are seeking in the lawsuit!
I get it now. It's Megaw-6; Kids-0. What a world. I guess time will tell.
Actually Really? after 15 years of teaching 20 kids a year, the score is happy Megaw students-244, confused students-6. You are right, time will tell.
OOPS, that is happy Megaw students-294!
It is unbelievable that the majority of the people who post their comments on this site are so ignorant to the fact that a man is not capable of doing such a horific act to a child. I guess YOUR children have not been a victim in this situation and lucky for you. Maybe if you open your eyes and realize that there are people in this world who are capable of doing such things and make every attempt to hide and lie about what they have been accused of. If you honestly believe that he could not have done this then you are greatly misdirected and the possibilty of you protecting your own children are diminished. You are the parent and have a responsiblity to protect them, not reinforce the possibility that a man could not have done this. Shame on you....
Although I've only worked with him a few times over the past 10+ years, my observation of Andy as a teacher and also as president of the teachers' association was that he appeared to be an exemplary professional educator. I'll be very surprised it any of this has credibility…especially with the added dimension of pending civil litigation that could lead to a monetary jackpot.
I remember a similar incident a number of years ago when a community crucified another teacher accused by a prominent city official's daughter along with a female friend and classmate, that he had inappropriately touched them. After two years of grinding the teacher, the two girls failed lie-detector exams, and only then confessed that they were just trying to "get him" because they had received failing grades from him.
Eventually he was exonerated but the damage had been done. He was near financial ruin, and in the end, although cleared, he quit as soon as possible in complete disgust towards his city and the legal and educational systems that had vitimized him for over two years. Sadly, the district and the profession lost a great and dedicated teacher to the litigatory pressures of proving oneself innocent.
Conversely, we all remember the teacher who went to prison for his on-going sexual involvement with a student for many years that started when she was his student in jr.high.
My point is that we need to wait until the facts are irrefutably in before passing judgment on someone who according to those who know him best are shocked and incensed at the accusations.
IF Andy Megaw is guilty, then throw the book at him.
BUT what if he's not? Why don't we wait on the "book-throwing" until we get the FACTS, and not just the "hearsay"? Remember the concept established by the founding fathers’ of the legal presumption that one is "Innocent until proven guilty"! Or is it now more important to "burn all witches"... just in case there are some?
Dear Chester T. Molester.
At the risk of sounding like the English teacher that I am, may I remind you to please capitalize proper nouns like your given name and surname, in your case indicating paternal lineage and obvious inteligence quotient maximums.