Poway High teacher under investigation for alleged misconduct

A Poway High School teacher is on administrative leave this weekend while detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office and school district officials investigate allegations of misconduct.

The SDSO issued a news release Thursday saying that on Oct. 30, deputies became aware of allegations of misconduct involving a high school teacher and students at the school. The alleged misconduct was reported to have occurred this school year.

“Investigators are actively pursuing all leads and working to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding these allegations. The investigation remains active and is being conducted in collaboration with the Poway Unified School District,” SDSO Lt. Aloha Peters said in a statement. “The Sheriff’s Office is committed to the safety and well-being of students and the Poway community.”

In a letter to parents emailed earlier this week, Poway High School Principal Jonathan Penuliar said “the safety and security of our students and staff are a top priority at PHS. As such, we wanted to make you aware of a situation at our school. We have recently placed a teacher on administrative leave due to allegations of inappropriate behavior on campus.

“When these allegations were brought to our attention, we immediately reported them to law enforcement and are currently working in conjunction with them to investigate,” the letter continued. “Due to the ongoing investigation and personnel issues, we are limited in the information we can share. However, please know we take these concerns seriously and are committed to providing a safe and comfortable learning environment for your children.”

Penuliar also said he wanted to “thank the students who came forward to report the incident and remind all students to say something if they see something.”

Further details were not immediately available.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact the Sheriff’s Family Protection Detail at 858-285-6112, or after-hours at 858-868- 3200. The public may also contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 888-580-8477. Information on submitting anonymous tips through the web or mobile app is available at sdcrimestoppers.org/.