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Aug 16, 2023
An area man who worked as a substitute teacher and assistant football coach in Long Beach was arrested on charges of sexually abusing a female student and possessing child pornography. David Vernon Price Jr., 28, of Carson was taken into custody by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officials Saturday and charged with the following counts:
Price was booked and then released on $45,000 bail, according to a press release from the LAPD.
Price worked as a substitute teacher and assistant football coach at Long Beach Polytechnic High School starting in August 2022. Between December 2022 and June 2023, Price served as a substitute teacher at Hoover Middle School, the Long Beach Unified School District confirmed.
Various outlets, including Patch and The Brunswick News, reported that Price had served as a substitute teacher in Los Angeles. The L.A. Times, however, noted that the Los Angeles Unified School District said it had no record of him working at any of its schools.
Evelyn Somoza, a Long Beach Unified spokesperson, issued the following statement to the Los Angeles Times:
“The school district immediately removed Mr. Price as assistant coach and substitute teacher when we were notified of his arrest. Mr. Price will not be returning to LBUSD due to the pending charges against him.”
Price is described as a “standout football player” by the Los Angeles Times. As a student at Long Beach Poly, he played cornerback and safety – graduating in 2013.
“He was recruited to play at the University of Arizona and played a few games there before transferring to Azusa Pacific University, where he played linebacker until 2018,” the Los Angeles Times said.
Detectives from the LAPD’s, Juvenile Division’s, Internet Crimes Against Children Unit have indicated that they believe there are additional victims.
“Price is believed to target minor age females. He is described as a male, Black, with black hair and brown eyes. He stands 6-feet-tall and weighs 228 pounds,” the LAPD said.
The LAPD released Price’s booking photo to aid in the ongoing investigation:
LAPD officials are seeking the public’s assistance in helping to locate any unidentified victims who may have been sexually abused by Price. Detectives are also urging anyone who was directly victimized by the former substitute teacher and football coach to immediately contact the LAPD at 562-624-4027.
During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Tips may also be submitted via www.lapdonline.org.
School administrators, teachers, and faculty members are required under California law to report any suspicions of sexual abuse to law enforcement authorities. Known as the Mandated Reporting Law, professionals in various capacities are expected to uphold their duty to “protect individuals who can’t protect themselves” from sexual abuse. Such individuals may include children, dependent adults (e.g. the elderly), and the otherwise vulnerable.
However, many local schools have been involved in a number of sexual abuse scandals in recent years.
A report from Redlands Daily Facts notes:
“…in school districts across Southern California, some educators are shirking that duty [the Mandated Reporting Law], choosing to keep things quiet rather than ‘ruin lives’ of co-workers and suffer the taint of bad publicity.”
According to the report, schools in Los Angeles, Redlands, Riverside, and Torrance have settled sexual abuse lawsuits “costing taxpayers more than $313 million in the past seven years.”
“In one of those districts, a yearlong investigation by the Southern California News Group – based on nearly 1,900 pages of documents and more than 100 hours of recorded police interviews – revealed a more than decade-long pattern of covering up sex abuse allegations,” Redlands Daily Facts said.
That aforementioned district is Redlands Unified, which has been plagued by countless school and teacher sexual abuse cases over the past several years.
Redlands Daily Facts referred to the district as “ground zero for predatory teachers on Southern California campuses.”
In recent years, their report confirms:
One of the school sexual abuse lawsuits against Redlands Unified resulted in an $11 million settlement. In September 2021, seven survivors who accused former Clement Middle School teacher Sean Ramiro Lopez of various sex crimes secured the damages award. Lopez is currently serving a 74-year prison sentence for sexual abuse.
Some reports indicate that Redlands Unified School District has paid out upwards of $41 million in student sexual abuse settlements since 2016.
Child sexual abuse is defined as any form of sexual activity with a minor. Because children are unable to consent to sexual activity, engaging with a child in any type of sexual manner is a crime (and it’s important to note that contact does not have to be physical).
Text messages, online chats, and other digital interactions can be forms of abuse. Dordulian Law Group’s partner organization, RAINN, reports that more than 90% of child sexual abuse victims know the abuser. Perpetrators may be family members, teachers, coaches, medical providers, or a parent of another child. No matter who the abuser may be, child sexual abuse is a crime.
School sexual misconduct victims are typically:
A civil lawsuit in pursuit of a financial damages award can be an opportunity for survivors of school sexual abuse to secure justice and move forward on their own terms. For a free and confidential consultation with a Dordulian Law Group (DLG) school sexual abuse attorney, contact us today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM.
DLG was founded by former sex crimes prosecutor and member of RAINN’s National Leadership Council, Sam Dordulian. We offer survivors access to the very best legal representation available in combination with a 24/7 support network – our unique, four-tiered SAJE Team (Sexual Abuse Justice Experts).
If you experienced a sexual assault incident, don’t wait to file a claim. Contact our expert attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.
DLG’s SAJE Team is comprised of dedicated professionals who have devoted their lives to helping survivors of sexual violence obtain the justice they deserve:
Contact us today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM to discuss your school or teacher sex abuse case.
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