Published: Feb. 22, 2014 Updated: Feb. 24, 2014 7:43 a.m.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FULLERTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
FULLERTON – A 28-year-old math teacher at Nicolas Junior High School was arrested Friday on suspicion of sexual misconduct with two male students, authorities said.
The school found out about the allegation Friday after one of the victims and his friend reported it to a counselor, Fullerton School District spokeswoman Myrna Marston said. School officials contacted the Fullerton Police Department, and detectives began an investigation.
During the investigation, they found out about a second victim, according to a police news release.
Eighth-grade teacher Melissa Lindgren was arrested on campus at about 4 p.m. Friday on six felony counts, including child molestation, child annoyance and dissemination of harmful matter to a minor, Sgt. Jeff Stuart said. She admitted to committing the crimes, Stuart said.
The arrest happened less than five hours after the school district discovered the allegations, the release stated.
Lindgren was booked at the Fullerton Police Department; she later posted a $100,000 bail and was released, according to the release. She is scheduled to be arraigned at the North Justice Center in Fullerton on April 9.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Fullerton School District – which consists of 20 schools, 14,000 students and more than 600 teachers – has placed Lindgren on unpaid administrative leave, according to its statement released Saturday. Lindgren has been working at Nicolas Junior High School for five years, Marston said.
The district has scheduled a parent meeting for 6 p.m. Monday at Nicolas Junior High School to answer questions and discuss the incident.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7347 or tshimura@ocregister.com
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