Azusa: April 2008 Archives

Three boys and nine girls claim they were molested my substitute teacher V. Cleon Harper, according to the felony complaint filed against Harper by the Los Angeles County District Attorney.

Harper, who is being held on $1 million bail was scheduled for arraignment at the Pomona courthouse Monday, but that arraignment was postposed until April, 18, according to Sandi Gibbons in the DA's office.

Meanwhile, friends of Harper turned to this blog to begin a campaign of support for their colleague. This comment was left on an earlier entry:

If your reporter were doing his job he would also have discovered this. The teacher coached the students in writing 'mysterious' events about Harper, as a writing exercise. None of the written assignments described any 'touching' other than a light touch on the shoulder. It was only after feedback by the teacher and the administrator that children began to talk about other forms of touching. This same class was known for being disruptive to sub teachers in the past. Harper is among the most upstanding people in the Azusa community and this 'witch-hunt' is an unparalleled abuse of power and authority by the School district, by Child Protective Services and by the Azusa Police Department. It was a complete over reaction to childish fiction to 'get back' at a sub teacher who tried to hold them accountable for their collective mis-behavior.

 

Cleon V. Harper, 65, of Azusa was picked up by Azusa PD on suspicion of 10 counts of child molestation.

Harper was a substitute teacher for a fourth-grade class at WR Powell Elementary School. Children complained to their parents after sitting in Harper's class.

The arrest was the culmination of a week-long investigation by Azusa authorities.

This guy may have been a professor at APU, according to a cursory records search.

Here's comments from Rate My Professor.

A V. Cleon Harper is also listed as a city commissioner on Azusa's website Architectural Barriers Commission.

Another guy who shares the name sits on the board of a group known as "Stepping Stones for Women"  The Motto of the group: "Providing handles of hope to single mothers and their children."