Teacher accused of being in porn film did nothing illegal, attorney says

 

An Oxnard teacher fired for allegedly appearing in a pornographic movie did nothing illegal and should be allowed to keep teaching, her attorney said.

Attorney Richard Schwab said Stacie Halas, 31, a science teacher at Richard B. Haydock Intermediate School, will fight to get her job back.

"The type of conduct she engaged in was lawful conduct in a business which, while others may disagree with its content, is very vibrant in both Los Angeles as well as the state of California," Schwab told the Ventura County Star in an interview. 

Halas was placed on leave last month while the Oxnard Unified School District investigated the allegations. The school board met Wednesday to discuss the case and voted unanimously to fire Halas.

The investigation began when students approached administrators at the school and told them they had seen a female teacher in a pornographic video.

Halas allegedly was cast in the movie under the name Tiffany. Administrators tried to verify the students' claims but couldn't because filters on the school's computers prevent access to pornographic websites.

So administrators distributed a memo to school staff, acknowledging the students' claims but only as unverified rumor. Other teachers then came forward and showed administrators the video that started the rumor on an Internet-connected cellphone.

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-- KTLA-TV and a Times staff writer