SANTEE, Calif. (KGTV) — Nearly three weeks after an audio recording surfaced of teachers at Pepper Drive School in Santee bad-mouthing students, some parents said little has been done to address the problem.
"My son's been sitting in the class with these teachers for three weeks. Nobody's checked on him," said one parent.
The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, said her eighth-grade son was mentioned in the recording.
The teachers' conversation was secretly recorded on a student's iPad.
"He [son] hasn't really said much, but it's sad to know that he knows what was said, and he has to face the teacher every day," the mother said.
On the recording, three teachers can be heard using derogatory names and swear words to describe students' behaviors.
"If they had any type of concerns, they should have reached out to the parent," she said.
The school's principal initially sent an email to all eighth-grade families stating the matter will be addressed among all Pepper Drive staff.
However, the mother said the school has not reached out to her regarding what was said about her son.
"I tried to be patient and just kind of see what was going to happen. Each day that went by, I would ask my son 'How's it going?'" she said.
In an email to ABC 10News, a spokesperson with the Santee School District said the principal did reach out to specific families impacted by the recording and "met with every eighth-grade class in person."
The principal also invited students to meet with her or the counselor.
The mother said her son mentioned the principal did meet with classes, but she insisted the school has not contacted her.
Due to privacy laws, the school district said it could not comment on whether the student who recorded the conversation or the teachers involved faced any repercussions.
You can read the full statement from the Santee School District below:
"The Principal at Pepper Drive reached out to specific families impacted by the recording and also met with every 8th grade class in person to ensure each student felt supported. She invited students impacted to meet with her or the counselor. In the email sent to all 8th grade families, the principal offered time to any family that wanted to speak further about the situation. We also shared that due to privacy laws, the District cannot comment on any staff or student corrective action plans, so no follow up on that was offered.
We have continued to invite any parents and students to connect directly with the Principal if they have further concerns."
ABC 10News cannot share the audio recording, since the teachers were recorded without their consent.
