Carlsbad Substitute Teacher Conner Chanove Arrested, Accused of Molesting Child

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Carlsbad Substitute Teacher Conner Chanove Arrested on Suspicion of Lewd Acts With 13-Year-Old Girl

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:

  • Suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14
  • Luring a minor for a sex offense
  • Arranging a meeting with a minor

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.

Systemic Failures Often Allow Predator Teachers to Keep Working/Abusing Students

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:

  • 69 publicly reported damages awards and settlements of $1 million or more among K-12 schools and colleges were recorded in 2022.
  • That figure – the total number of damages awards and settlements – was up from 38 which equaled $1 million or more in 2021.

The number of California schools hit with lawsuits in recent years has been staggering.

California Teacher Sexual Abuse Scandals Impacting Numerous Districts

Recent California school sexual abuse lawsuits that have been settled and garnered major headlines include:

  • A San Jose school was ordered to pay $7.5 million to five men who were sexually abused by their elementary school teacher in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
  • Survivors of a former Sun Valley high school wrestling coach were awarded a $52 million settlement in October 2022. The complaint alleged that the Los Angeles Unified School District knew of prior sexual misconduct and did nothing about it.
  • A jury awarded $102.5 million in March 2022 to two women who sued a Northern California school district. The complaint alleged that officials failed to stop a middle school teacher from sexually grooming and abusing them as minors.
  • In April 2022, a $13.7 million settlement was reached with the Riverside Unified School District after 10 students alleged sexual abuse by former school technology aide Fernando Figueroa. The survivors ranged between the ages of 7 and 11 at the time of the abuse.
  • An $11 million school sex abuse settlement was reached between Redlands Unified School District and seven survivors. The plaintiffs, initially named in four separate lawsuits, accused a former Clement Middle School teacher, Sean Ramiro Lopez, of various sex crimes (Lopez is currently serving a 74-year prison sentence for sexual abuse).

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:

  • In March, a California Teacher of the Year award winner was arrested on 15 felony sex abuse counts. Jacqueline Ma, 34, a Lincoln Acres Elementary school teacher, was arrested for having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 13-year-old former student.
  • In May, a second California Teacher of the Year award winner was arrested for child sex abuse. Tracy Vanderhulst, 38, a teacher at Yucaipa High School, was arrested and booked at the county detention center on a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Vanderhulst was reportedly named “Teacher of the Year” at the school in 2017.
  • In June, a Sherman Oaks middle school teacher was arrested for sexually assaulting multiple students. Kareem Spann, 46, of Burbank was charged with multiple sex crime counts involving two 8th graders.
  • In July, a Boyle Heights elementary school teacher was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting six girls. Martin Reyes, Jr., 29, a resident of Northeast Los Angeles, faces 10 counts of lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14. Reyes is alleged to have sexually abused six female students at Sunrise Elementary School in Boyle Heights. The alleged assaults would take place in his classroom during recess.
  • In August, an Ojai teacher was arrested for sexual abuse and having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Paul Herder, 65, who previously taught at schools in Ojai and Los Angeles, is alleged to have engaged in a sexual relationship with an underage student during his tenure with Oak Grove.

<>Free Carlsbad, California, Teacher Sexual Abuse Lawyer Consultations

To speak with a dedicated attorney about your school sexual abuse civil lawsuit confidentially and without any obligation, contact a member of DLG’s SAJE Team today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM. During your free consultation, you will be able to have any questions answered and our school sexual abuse attorneys will provide an estimate for how long your case may take to settle (and the approximate overall value of your projected settlement).

DLG was founded by Sam Dordulian, a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County whose more than 25 years of experience includes obtaining life sentences against some of our community’s most dangerous sex offenders.

Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

When you’re ready to take the first step toward securing justice for past school sexual abuse, we’re here to fight aggressively on your behalf and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Author

Samuel Dordulian

Samuel Dordulian, founder

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.




Go See Sam