23ABC screengrab/Frontier High School Yearbook Emily Salazar, teacher suspended after students allegedly discover her in porn videos.
Emily Salazar is a California teacher who was placed on leave after students allegedly discovered pornographic videos in which she appeared, The Bakersfield Californian reports.
Salazar, a 36-year-old science teacher at Frontier High School was placed on paid leave, the Kern High School District told the outlet.
Several students found videos of Salazar online and began to circulate them around school, parents said. By Monday, “the whole school knew,” one parent told The Californian.
“And I have to tell you, (the videos) are horrific,” the parent said. “The videos are bad. They’re bad.”
No students appear in the video, the parents said, and Salazar is not believed to have committed any crimes.
Police said they have no reason to investigate the videos but Salazar could still face disciplinary action by the school district.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Parents Say Students Discovered Emily Salazar Porn Videos
The Californian reported that Salazar, a 36-year-old science teacher at Frontier High School, appeared in multiple pornographic videos that students discovered and circulated around school, according to parents who saw the videos.
By Monday morning “the whole school knew,” one Frontier parent told the outlet.
“And I have to tell you, (the videos) are horrific,” the parent added. “The videos are bad. They’re bad.”
2. Salazar Was Placed on Leave After The Reports
Frontier High School teacher placed on paid administrative leave t.co/re7yoGTxFe
The Kern High School District said in a statement that Salazar has been placed on paid administrative leave.
No students appeared in the video and Salazar is not suspected of doing anything criminal.
Bakersfield police spokesman Sgt. Brian Holcombe told The Californian that the department is not involved with the school district’s investigation into the videos.
3. Salazar Could Face Disciplinary Action
Although Salazar is not suspected of criminal behavior, The Californian reports that she could face discipline and possible firing.
“In a case like this, the most likely avenue would be a report from her superintendent,” Joshua Speaks, a public affairs manager for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, told The Californian. “If she was suspended for more than 10 days or dismissed as a result of her actions, the superintendent is required by law to report the case to us.”
Speaks said that the credentialing committee would consider factors like “likelihood of recurrence of the questioned conduct; extenuating or aggravating factors; effect of notoriety and publicity; impairment of teacher-student relationships; disruption of the education process; motive; and when the conduct occurred.”
“So, for example,” Speaks said, “a teacher who produced pornographic videos in her 20s, and was now an educator in her 50s would be viewed differently than someone whose conduct was current.”
4. Reactions Split on Whether Salazar Did Anything Wrong
Reactions were split after Salazar was placed on leave.
“I think it’s disgusting, especially a high school teacher, risking knowing that her students could see her doing that,” a parent told The Californian.
Another parent said that she was not “shocked” by the news.
“It’s unfortunate, honestly, that when you hear things like this it’s not shocking anymore,” she said. “In this day and age so many things happen, it’s just part of our time.”
Others said it should not matter what Salazar did outside of school.
“Big deal!” Sarah Kirschner posted on Facebook. “If she didn’t break the law then who cares?”
“It’s not like she was doing it with students or shared it with them. Why are people so hung up about sex?” wrote Chandra Beatty.
5. Lawyers Warn Firing Salazar Would Be a ‘Slippery Slope’
Can Frontier High teacher who allegedly appeared in porn videos keep her job? Attorneys weigh in t.co/lN7egdqOSY #Bakersfield 📰
Attorney Matthew Clark told The Californian that the allegations do not suggest Salazar did anything illegal but he would not be surprised if she were fired by the district.
If the school district does fire Salazar, Clark added, she could file a wrongful termination lawsuit.
“You’re on a really slippery slope here because obviously these are sensational circumstances, but where do you draw the line?” Clark said.
“As a teacher you’re kind of a public figure, you’re considered a role model,” Clark said, “and if you put this type of material in a public forum where it can be found you’re kind of asking for trouble.”