California Principal Convicted In Disturbing Child Abuse Case

A California principal is facing legal consequences after failing to report heinous child abuse allegations at the hands of a staff teacher.

Mercury News reports that Lyn Vijayendran, principal of O.B. Whaley Elementary School, was found guilty after failing to not properly report claims by a second-grade student that her teacher, Craig Chandler, blindfolded & put something in her mouth while the two were alone.

Here's a detailed report of the incident, via Mercury News. Some of the details a very disturbing:

"The strongest evidence the prosecution presented against Vijayendran was the set of notes she wrote recounting what the child told her when she and her mom came to the principal's office in October 2011 to report a disturbing incident. The mother learned of the incident when she came across a crusty white stain on the sleeve of the girl's navy blue jacket and asked her about it.

The child told Vijayendran that Chandler had summoned her to the classroom and blindfolded her with no one else there, made her lie down on the floor, touched her feet with something that felt like a tongue, inserted something gooey in her mouth and then wiggled her head around till she tasted a salty liquid."

Instead of reporting her suspicions to police, Vijayendran called the head of human resources, who directed her to interview the teacher. But Vijayendran was the one who made the judgment call about not notifying the authorities, Filo contended.

Chandler told Vijayendran that he called the girl into the classroom to prepare a lesson on Helen Keller, which he had been using for years. He said the "instructional goal" was to deprive participating students of sight. He said he used a bath sponge on her foot and legs, and put a bottle containing salty water into her mouth. All the while, his classroom door was open, he told Vijayendran, though the child said the door was closed."

Vijayendran has been charged with two years of probation, $602 in fines and 100 hours of community service, while Chandler is currently in prison after being arrested in January for a similar charge on another student.

Take this as a lesson in your own parenting. Inquire with your children about any and all things happening in their lives.