Nov 27, 2023
A Vista Unified School District substitute teacher was arrested last week on suspicion of lewd acts with a minor.
Conner Chanove, 27, was taken into custody by law enforcement officials on November 20 after the mother of the suspected victim caught him with her daughter in a vehicle at Guajome Lake Park in Oceanside, according to the Oceanside Police Department.
“The mother noticed inappropriate activity was taking place and removed her daughter from the vehicle and confronted the suspect,” Oceanside Police Sergeant Josh Morris said, according to a report from Patch. Morris confirmed that the child’s parents reported the crime on Saturday.
Following the tip on Saturday, law enforcement officials were unable to locate Chanove for two days. After the arrest last Monday, police conducted a search of Chanove’s home in Carlsbad.
Chanove is also a coach for the all-girls Seaside Water Polo Club in Carlsbad, according to Fox 5 San Diego. The suspected substitute teacher pedophile was previously employed as a lifeguard for the City of Encinitas and as an open-water lifeguard for the City of Carlsbad, according to the Oceanside Police Department.
The Vista Unified School District issued a statement following substitute teacher Conner Chanove’s arrest:
“We were notified on late Saturday, November 18, 2023 by the Oceanside Police Department that a substitute teacher in our District was involved in an inappropriate activity with a student at Guajome Lake Park. This adult has since been arrested and is currently being held at the Vista Detention Facility. We are appalled by the thought that someone trusted to work with our children would betray their trust and innocence. Please be assured that this adult will not be on any campus in the District and that our administrative team will cooperate fully with law enforcement to ensure that justice is served.“
Conner Chanove was booked into the Vista Detention Facility on the following charges:
Chanove’s bail has been set at $1,000,000, Fox 5 confirmed. His arraignment is scheduled for today.
Anyone with information regarding a sex crime committed by substitute teacher Conner Chanove is urged to contact the Oceanside Police Department Family Protection Unit at 760-435-4377.
Teacher sexual abuse incidents are far more common than many people may realize. Additionally, many teachers who sexually abuse students are routinely moved from district-to-district without any action being taken.
In fact, an April investigative report released by CBS found that there are often systemic oversight failures by American public schools in terms ever holding teachers accused of sexual abuse accountable for their crimes. The report stated that “little is being done” to enforce accountability on the part of school districts when both sexual abuse allegations are made and charges are eventually brought against suspected predator teachers.
“Systemwide oversight failures at the local, state, and federal levels have enabled the sexual abuse of children in American schools to persist with virtually no monitoring of such incidents,” CBS said.
CBS also noted that these oversights can potentially endanger millions of children. After teacher sexual abuse occurs, many victims file lawsuits seeking damages and justice.
A report from Education Week earlier this year confirmed that a number of school districts across the United States have been hit with sexual misconduct lawsuits leading to settlements of $1 million or more.
According to the report:
The number of California schools hit with lawsuits in recent years has been staggering.
Recent California school sexual abuse lawsuits that have been settled and garnered major headlines include:
Additionally, the number of area teachers arrested for sexual abuse has been troubling.
Some of California teacher sexual abuse arrests occurring in just the past few months include:
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Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.
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