Character witnesses support teacher in molestation trial

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- A former elementary school teacher on trial for allegedly molesting students had his first opportunity today to call witnesses in his defense.

Attorneys for James Andrew Megaw, 43, called seven character witnesses in West Valley Superior Court, including two retired teachers, Megaw's pastor, as well as three former students and their mother.

Prosecutors rested this morning after drawing testimony in Megaw's trial from six children who accuse the former Valencia Elementary School teacher of touching them sexually in class.

Megaw, the former head of Upland's teacher's union, is charged with four felonies in the case. He, along with the Upland Unified School District, is also the target of a civil lawsuit brought by the alleged victims.

The character witnesses who testified today said they never saw Megaw, of Rancho Cucamonga, molest children, nor did they ever hear any children complain of touching by Megaw.

The witnesses said Megaw never locked his classroom door during school hours, and one teacher who worked closely with Megaw said Megaw had a personal policy of never being alone with students in small numbers.

"I can't see any way that he could do it. I just don't," said Ron Thomas, pastor of Mt. Baldy Village Church, where Megaw has been a member since 2004.

"I would trust him with my grandchildren," Thomas testified.

The children who accuse Megaw of molesting them told of multiple techniques the teacher allegedly used in the alleged touching.

Some students said Megaw would rub their genitals through their clothing when they would walk up to his desk seeking help on classwork. Others said he touched them when he would come to their desk when they raised their hand seeking assistance in class.

Some of the students said Megaw would press their hands to the genital area of his pants, while others said Megaw would touch himself while touching them.

The behavior described in those alleged acts was directly at odds with Megaw's conduct as described by the character witnesses who testified today.

"It's inconsistent with anything I ever saw him do," said Catherine Norell, a teacher who worked with Megaw and who described herself as a "family friend."

"I've been with him a lot and I've never seen any of this occur," Norell said.

Tammi Strasen and her three sons -- who all had Megaw as a teacher -- supported Thomas and Norell's testimony.

Strasen said she often volunteered in Megaw's class, and often observed him interact with students. She said she never saw any inappropriate behavior by Megaw.

"Would you still have him teach your children?" Megaw's attorney, Leonard Levine, asked Strasen on the witness stand.

"Yes, I would," she responded.

In his opening statements to jurors, Levine said the first child in Megaw's 2008-2009 class to make abuse allegations did so to distract attention from a note he claims the boy wrote and feared would lead to punishment.

After the boy came forward, school and police officials sent letters to parents of Megaw's students describing the alleged abuse. After the letter was sent, additional children made allegations.

Megaw's defense contends that the later allegations were prompted by the letter and are false -- a result of dishonesty or false memory.

In his trial testimony, the boy said he found the note, which contained curse words, on the playground and did not fear he'd be punished.

The boy's best friend testified today that he saw the alleged victim pick the note off the ground at the school's playground.

Megaw's defense has also faulted police interview techniques, with Levine implying in his questioning today of Upland police Detective William Chani that one girl detailed abuse allegations only after her mother entered a police interview room and demonstrated sexual touching.

Testimony in Megaw's trial is scheduled to resume Wednesday.