Schools

A Catholic high school has been talked about in the South County for nearly a decade, but the Diocese of San Jose has run into a series of setbacks getting its 40 acres of land—their preferred site of the future school—annexed to southeast Morgan...

The annual Bach to Blues concert will take place at the Gavilan College Theater at 7pm March 16.  Back to Blues is a fundraising concert that showcases faculty, students and amazing local talent. This year's guest performers include Kaye Bohler and the Hollister High School...

Gavilan College announced July 11 the selection of Denee Pescarmona as the local community college’s new vice president of academic affairs. Pescarmona will oversee the academic divisions of Gavilan College: Liberal Arts and Sciences, Career Education, Community Education and Noncredit Instruction. For the past four years,...

Among Gavilan College’s graduating Class of 2024 are Gilroy twins Brett (left) and Scott Archer. The twin brothers graduated from Gavilan at the college’s commencement ceremonies on May 24.  Brett graduated with a degree in Business Information Systems and Communication Studies. Scott graduated with a...

Welcomed by pristine conditions for Friday’s 23rd annual Rod’s Trod fundraiser event, Rod Kelley Elementary School students, faculty and family members walked, jogged, ran — and even crawled — their way around the quarter-mile circuit, helping to raise money for the northwest elementary school.

One of the nation’s top attorneys accused Gilroy school officials Wednesday of outrageous conduct in allowing a teacher to return to the classroom after a complaint alleging sexual misconduct with a student.Gloria Allred, who has been involved in high-profile women’s rights and other civil rights cases, addressed the Gilroy Unified School District board at its regular evening meeting on behalf of Celeste Benn, who has claimed that officials, including superintendent Debbie Flores, refused to listen or mete out appropriate punishment when she alleged in October 2014 that the teacher sent her daughter, 15, sexually charged text messages.The teacher, Douglas Le, 25, was arrested April 26 by San Jose police on suspicion of soliciting lewd photos from minor boys. He resigned April 29.“He should not have been permitted to teach [in 2014], children and families have been harmed,” Allred said before a nearly full chamber at GUSD headquarters on Arroyo Circle.Allred called for a full investigation into, among other things, whether school officials complied with all laws in handling Benn’s complaint, including those that require officials to report suspicions that an adult might be sexually victimizing a minor.The Los Angeles lawyer announced a press conference for 3 p.m. today at school district headquarters about what her press release called the "sexual misconduct" case. The GUSD office is at 7810 Arroyo Circle, Gilroy.On Wednesday evening Allred told the press there might be more minor victims.Calmly addressing the board, Benn called for changes in how the district deals with student safety issues.“You had one job to do and you failed to do it for my daughter and all the boys that followed,” she said.She described how she was refused meetings with Flores and Gilroy High School principal Marco Sanchez the day after the incident. The district only responded when she threatened to go to the media, but permitted Le to continue teaching, forcing her frightened daughter to transfer to Christopher High School, she said.As the meeting began, trustee Linda Piceno spoke for the board after a closed session. She said of the 2014 incident that Le’s behavior “did not rise to the level of dismissal” and that while his conduct was “unprofessional and unacceptable,” it was not a crime.However, an attorney who specializes in child abuse law and is closely involved in the Benn case told the Dispatch the district is wrong. A crime did occur, he said, because of the sexually explicit nature of the texts sent to Benn’s daughter. The district was required to report the incident to authorities, he said. He asked not to be identified.

Marco Sanchez looked sharp in a tailored suit and tie when the

GILROY—More than 1,000 people gathered at a somber candlelight vigil Monday at Gilroy’s Christopher High School to remember Natalia Salcido, the cheerleader killed in a car accident on Mother’s Day eve, a week before her 16th birthday.

With signs that read “Keep Good Teachers With Fair Pay,” “You can’t put students FIRST if you put teachers LAST” and “WTF? Where’s the Funding,” more than 300 Gilroy teachers and supporters picketed outside last week’s school board meeting. The Gilroy Teachers Association’s signs and...