Ex-assistant principal gets eight years in prison for molesting students

 A former assistant principal who Los Angeles Unified School District officials knew was under suspicion of having sex with a student but was transferred to another campus where he found more victims, was sentenced to eight years in prison today for sexually abusing four minors.

Steve Thomas Rooney sat handcuffed in jail clothing with his head down and shook as the sentence was handed down. Some of his teenage female victims sat a few yards away.

"He should pay for everything he has done to our families," a father of one of the victim told the judge before sentencing. "He has ruined my daughter's life and other girls'."

Rooney, 40, last month pleaded no contest to molesting three teenage girls and having unlawful sex with a fourth minor.

Judge Marcelita V. Haynes refused to allow him to wear civilian clothing at the sentencing. She said sheriff's officials reported that Rooney had become "a high security risk" in jail and was classified at a dangerous inmate level because he was "breaking the rules and fighting."

Rooney's father stated in an e-mail sent before the sentencing that his son had been beaten in jail.

The 40-year-old was convicted of having sex with a student when she was 15 to 17 and molesting a second girl at Foshay Learning Center before being transferred to Markham Middle School in Watts, where he molested two more girls. The girls ranged from 13 to 15 years in age.

The case came to highlight serious deficiencies in how the Los Angeles Unified School District handled problem employees.

Rooney’s attorney, Dmitry Gorin, said "while on bail Mr. Rooney completed extensive counseling and treatment, learning to avoid compulsive conduct that led to his arrest." Gorin said Rooney "is very remorseful about his conduct."

Rooney, originally charged with 14 felony molestation violations related to the four girls, will have to register as a violent sex offender and serve at least 85% of his eight-year sentence.

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Steve Thomas Rooney in Superior Court today, where he was sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually abusing four minors.
Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[CA]

Galindo was also very remorseful for raping and he was eventually released. And here we are 18 years later seeing the ramifications of his "counseling and remorse." This guy will be out in 5-6 years and do it again.

Sex offenders can't be rehabilitated. It's a sad fact. And if you think so, welcome him into your neighborhood when he's out. Most of us won't and he'll end up in a disadvantaged community with new victims, and the cycle continues.

[JadedintheOC]

Oh poor thing, he gotten beaten in jail! I'm sure he's getting more than beat up......sorry pop, no sympathy here.

[R Purcell]

This person is getting off too easy. Instead, he should receive 36 years at least. As far as getting a beating in jail, he better learn hoe to fight because there will be plenty more beatings once tghe other inmates find out that he's a child molester.

[Francine Redondo]

This is just a tip of the iceberg. In MNOC3, a 45 year old woman who sleeps around with the supervisors, giving them sexual favors at the back of Hotel's lot were given supervisory position even if she didnt pass the test.

When a 68 year old coworker questioned the decision, she was set up in a sexual harassment case. The same 45 year old claims that the 68 year old female employee has the hots for her.

LAUSD is one big corrupt machine.

[Ronbo]

Find out who decided to transfer him to another job where he had contact with students after the initial serious allegation, and fire 'em. This is grossly irresponsible, the guy could have been moved to an administrative position at a facility with no students while the first allegation was investigated.

[John Doe]

How is this possibly justice? Eight years in jail for ruining four defenseless underaged girls? This sick manipulative pervert will walk the streets again preying on more girls. So he's now causing a raucous in jail too? He's probably getting preyed on by vicious thugs for his sick crimes. I hope he knows how it feels to be defenseless and targeted. Probably not...because rapists and child molesters can NOT be rehabilitated.

[Robert Kaiser]

It is a disgrace that this predator only received an 8 year sentence for molesting children? And now he will be in protective custody during his incarceration to prevent anymore "beatings". In state prison the inmates would violate him the way he violated those young girls. Hold onto your bar of soap Steven....

[el guapo]

Cho Mos don't fare too well in the joint.

[social worker]

It is a fact that people with personality disorders, he has anti-social- are diagnosed on axis 2 in the DSM. The only other diagnosis on axis 2 is mentally retarded. Personality disorders are EMOTIONALLY RETARDED. they never have insight and most never change. Anti-socials like this guy do what they do -like 99% of the people in jail- because the RULES of sociaty do nor apply to THEM. They have every excuse imaginable unless caught- and then they cry for themselves and to manipulte. They also LOVE to find jusus or mahamed to get you to set them free faster. We must put thses sex offenders away for LIFE.

[Ana]

He's going to do itagain, and again, and again.
8 years!!!! ohh please!!!!!!!!!
give me a break

[feminismisfun]

How is it that Anand Jon got 59 years but this guy only got 8? Just because Rooney pled no contest and Jon pled not guilty? Rooney should not be able to get out for a long time.

[Melissa A]

To read that this person will be sentenced to 8 years for molesting 4 children is an insult to me as a human being and as an incest victim. Sex offenders, especially those that prey on children WILL strike again. All we've done is belittle the victims. They will live with this for the rest of their lives. I am deeply saddened. He's serving 2 years per child. Unbelievable.

[beenaroundtheblock]

If he had been tried in Ventura County, the penalties would have been harsher - double-digit sentences are the norm.

[twitter.com/cavscout90]

labor unions at work again....when will the employers have the power to remove troublesome employees...no organization would willingly remove unproductive employees...unions need to stop protecting themselves and issues as disgusting as this will not happen.

[disbelief]

This guy who molested 4 innocent young girls should never be released from jail to ever possibly harm another girl or boy.

I know of people have been involved in minor situations get more time that this monster!!!!

What is wrong with this picture??? The guy should stay in jail!

[Desjar]

If we, as a society, want rapists and child molesters to serve more time in jail then we need to demand changes in our justice system. Everyone is outraged...but no one is doing anything! There needs to be mandatory sentencing. I say release the non-violent drug offenders and in their place send these people who can never be rehabilitated in jail forever.

[Baffled Observer]

I think this sentence is far too lenient, and the school district officials who enabled him should join him in jail.

[Peter Wexler]

In reading some of the comments posted here, I think some of you could probably use a class in English grammar, presented by Vice Principal Rooney!

How sad!

-Peter Wexler

[Save The Children]

Anyone out there know why his sentence was so lenient? I know there must be some lawyers out there who must know. This is outrageous.

[Cassandra]

Gee sounds to me that Catholic Priests aren't the only ones guilty of transferring bad people around. So who will be first to sue the school district? Of course the school district doesn't care because they will settle and why not they are only spending taxpayer's money. What a shame! Ahh yes unions, well they have their good points and bad points but also if I'm not mistaken didn't the school board agree to accept the contract? Shame on them if they didn't negotiate a fair contract. The school management allowed those provisions into the contract. They could have changed that but nooooo why.. hmmmm I know because its taxpayer money they are spending it doesn't directly come out of their pockets so they don't care. Smarten up people soon our street will be full of criminals let out of prison because our state can't afford to keep them. By the way how come it costs our state $47,000 per prisoner when in Georgia it only costs about $25,000???

[Jane Doe]

A few weeks before Mr. Rooney was arrested, I met him while conducting business for LAUSD. I remember commenting to a friend after meeting with him, that he stood out like a sore thumb at the almost all African American school in Watts. He was clean cut and seemed like a no-nonsense kind of guy. I wondered to myself why he was working at a school in the hood. Two weeks later, I saw him on the news and heard how he got shuffled from one school to another by LAUSD. It really rattled my cage because I would have never suspected that he would be capable of such disgusting behavior. I guess you cant judge a book by its cover......

[Linda]

Molesting teen-agers is a crime and Rooney should be punished. Nevertheless, one must make a distinction between what he did and those who prey on children and toddlers -- the level of damage to the victim is far higher with children.

[Chuckman]

I know some more of this case. While I do agree that what he did was a crime, and beyond stupid for anyone employed by the school to mess with students, those girls weren't innocent youngsters dragged into the bushes, as far as Mr. Rooney thought, he was dating these girls who were wise beyond their years (all from Mexico, all would have been married w/ babies in their home town). Again, no excuses for what he did, if you aren't smart enough to know better, this is what you deserve. But lets not make them think that he is on the same level as Garrido.

[larissa]

well i think he did not get enough time in jail 8 years go by quickly after that time he will be out planning on who the next victim will be and sex offenders won't change they'll keep doing the same thing always.

[Glenda Ayala]

Steve Thomas Rooney definitely had cause a lot of trouble in his life his victims the minors gurls with 13,15,17 years old a horrible situation for the gurls. My sister attends to Foshay Learning Center and im glad to know that he is going to pay what he had done good news he was sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually abusing four minors.