Mark Berndt, the LA teacher at Miramonte Elementary, who played bondage and ‘special sauce’ tasting games with his students had managed to hold onto his health benefits, and tie up his firing in legal processes since his activities were exposed in 2009.
Things have finally caught up with Berndt, and he plans to plead no contest to 23 charges of child molestation on Friday. The plea agreement is for a prison sentence of 25 years. Legal settlements for the LA Unified School district run into Eight figures.
Seventy six teachers at Miramont were cooling their heels at an empty high school while restructuring occurred, and 46 are returning to Miramonte under a new principal. A second Miramonte teacher, Martin Springer, awaits trial for fondling a second grader in class.
Unmentioned is whether Berndt has lost his health benefits yet.
