LA schools hired ex-priest

A priest who admitted a sexual relationship with an underage girl was later hired by the Los Angeles Unified School District, school officials said.

Though the former clergyman, Joseph Pina, did not come into contact with students during the course of his job with the district, Superintendent John Deasy said he found it "troubling" such a person was hired in the first place.

Pina said he "fell in love" with a girl who he first saw as an eighth-grader in a Snow White costume, a psychological report released under a court order against the Los Angeles Archdiocese said.

"She dressed as Snow White ... I had a crush on Snow White, so I started to open myself up to her," he told the psychologist. "I felt like I fell in love with her. I got sexually involved with her, but never intercourse. She was about 17 when we got involved sexually, and it continued until she was about 19."

The Los Angeles Times said Monday Pina's full employment record wasn't available during the weekend but his job, which has since been eliminated, was tied to a large capital project. Pina acted as a community outreach agent, speaking to residents and business owners in neighborhoods affected by the capital project, gaining public input about where to build new schools.

Though Pina does not work for the district anymore, officials said he had been brought back occasionally to help plan events in communities where he worked, such as ribbon-cutting ceremonies at the new facilities. Deasy said any future plans to hire Pina on a per diem basis have been canceled. (UPI)


<관련 한글 기사>


美 전직 범죄 사제, 교육청 근무 들통나다

10대 청소년을 대상으로 성범죄를 저지른 전직 가톨릭 사제가 4년 동안 로스엔젤레스 교육청에서 근무한 사실이 드러나 파문이 일고 있다.

작년까지 로스앤젤레스 교육청에서 근무한 조셉 피냐는 아동 성범죄를 저지른 전력이 있다고 밝혀졌다. 존 디지 교육감은 피냐가 고용되었을 때 예전에 저지른 범죄를 알 길이 없었다고 전했다.

피냐는 백설공주 연극옷으 입고있는 8학년 소녀를 보고 “첫눈에 반했다”라고 피담한 심리상태보고서는 전했다. “그녀는 백설공주로 분장했고, 나는 백설공주가 좋아서 그녀에게 마음을 열기 시작했습니다” 라고 피냐는 심리상담사에게 전했다. 그는 “사랑에 빠진 것 같았습니다. 성적으로 그녀에게 이끌렸지만 관계는 하지 않았어요. 우리가 서로 이끌렸을 때 그녀는 17살이었고 관계는 19살때까지 이어졌습니다” 라고 밝혔다.

로즈앤젤레스 타임즈는 지난 월요일 피냐는 주로 신설 학교 건축과 관련된 지역 사회의 관심을 끌어내고 관련 행사를 기획하는 일을 맡았다고 전했다.

디지 교육감은 "피냐의 그런 전력을 우리로서는 알 길이 없었다"고 해명했다. (코리아헤럴드)