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Garces High teacher arrested

Man faces allegation of sexual encounter with student

BY GRETCHEN WENNER AND CHRIS GEORGE, Californian staff writers
e-mail: gwenner@bakersfield.com; cgeorge@bakersfield.com | Sunday, Dec 16 2007 9:45 PM

Last Updated: Monday, Dec 17 2007 2:09 PM

A teacher at Garces Memorial High School was arrested Saturday for an alleged sexual encounter with a Garces student.

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Neal was arrested Saturday morning on suspicion of oral copulation with someone under 18. The victim was a Garces student, according to police.

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• Read a letter Marshall Neal wrote on behalf of the Fort Tejon Historical Association

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• Read a letter Neal wrote to the paper in 2006

Links:

• Check out his Bakersfield.com profile.

Police arrested Marshall David Neal, 33, on suspicion of felony oral copulation with someone under 18, according to a statement released Sunday by the Bakersfield Police Department. The student's age and gender were not specified in the release.

As of late Sunday afternoon, Neal was being held in the downtown jail on $100,000 bail, online booking information showed. He posted bond at 6 p.m. and was expected to be released Sunday evening, according to jail staff. He declined a request for an interview, according to jail staff.

Police made the arrest after investigating allegations reported to them by the victim, the news release said.

Neal has taught at Garces for 10 years, his profile on the school's Web page said. He teaches world history, computer classes and coaches the debate team.

John Fanucchi, president of the private Catholic school, said school officials had been advised not to comment.

In a statement e-mailed to media outlets, Fanucchi said Neal would be placed on administrative leave and school officials would cooperate with the police investigation.

"Obviously, our number one concern is for the safety and well being of our students and families, and all involved," the e-mailed statement said.

Neal also serves as president and chair of the Fort Tejon Historical Association board. The organization re-enacts Civil War and other historical events.

Bob Zaricor, vice president of operations for the historical association, said the news came as a shock.

"I personally don't believe it," said Zaricor, a Los Angeles-area resident who has worked with Neal the past two or three years.

Zaricor said the allegations were "completely out of character" for Neal.

Sean Malis, an interpreter at Fort Tejon State Historic Park and historical association member, said he has known Neal for seven or eight years.

"He has only brought great credit upon himself to the organization," Malis said. "He has shown himself to be above reproach."

Letters written by Neal as board president regarding proposed changes to historic weapons handling at state parks stress the good character of historical re-enactors.

Teachers, doctors, lawyers, law officers, military personnel and others in Neal's group "tend to be the rule setters and most law-abiding citizens of society," Neal's Nov. 14 letter to a state parks official says.

"There is zero tolerance for illegal" behavior, his letter continues. "...Convicted felons are barred or expelled from membership."

Neal also teaches social studies and U.S. history at Bakersfield Adult School, an online class schedule shows. School Principal Susan Handy could not immediately be reached for comment.

Neal is the fourth local teacher arrested this month.

Other recent teacher arrests

Neal is the fourth local teacher arrested in December. These are the others:

On Dec. 1, police arrested Jeff Scheidemantel, 32, of Bakersfield on suspicion of trying to make methamphetamine in his school lab. He was a chemistry teacher at Shafter High School. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of precursor chemicals necessary to make methamphetamine, making meth, and making meth endangering children, according to the police. His next court date has not been set and he has not been charged with a crime, according to the Kern County Superior Court Web site.

On Dec. 5, sheriff’s deputies arrested Tom Vincent Adame, 41, after he allegedly offered to trace his penis on paper for two female students. He was charged with two misdemeanor counts of annoying a child. Adame was a U.S. history teacher at Foothill High School and coach of the varsity boys basketball team. He posted bail and his arraignment is Dec. 28, according to the court Web site.

On Dec. 5, police arrested Elliot Hardamon Jr., 53, on suspicion of several felonies after he refused to pull over for an officer, according to the department. Hardamon is a special education teacher at Curran Middle School. Hardamon was Tasered twice after he reached repeatedly for what police suspected was a weapon on the floor of his car. Police broke his car window to drag him out and he reached for and partially removed an officer’s gun. Police Tasered him a third time and he complied. They found a loaded revolver in the car. He was charged with evading a police officer, removing a peace officer’s gun, and carrying a concealed/unregistered gun, and several misdemeanors, including driving under the influence. His next court date is Dec. 20, according to the court Web site.

All of these teachers were placed on paid administrative leave.