I don't know if you are to read this, Mike.
I hope justice is served. May the gavel be in your favor.
Please hold your head up high still, even if you really are guilty, I'm sure you have changed.

Mike,

Hold your head high! You are genuinely one of the kindest, most patient, amazing teachers I have ever had the privilege of knowing. You are extraordinary. I will pray for your swift exoneration of all charges.

I am disgusted that Max McGee would say such awful things about you . He should be ashamed of throwing you under the bus. Let's leave the legal judgements to what I hope will be a truly fair legal process.

INNOCENT until proven guilty.

Stay strong Mike!

I am saddened to hear of this and am shocked because Mike has been a great teacher.

Our hearts go out to all the families impacted and wish for a speedy resolution to the truth in the matter.

These allegations are truly shocking and I hope they are not the truth.

I think, without question, a teacher has to be put on leave when there are these kind of charges, but McGee's letter really bothered me when I got it this evening. There have been charges, but no trial. McGee writes as if Airo's already been convicted. These sort of cases are incendiary enough without McGee adding fuel to the fire--Airo has a right a fair trial.

Anyone remember the uproar of the McMartin Preschool case? Lives were ruined and, after six years of criminal trials, no convictions. I think McGee needs to back off and let the judge, lawyers, and investigators handle this.

Max's letter was so unprofessional. He has been charged, not convicted. Mike hang in there!

And what would have happened if McGee had done anything differently? You've been around long enough to know.

I also want to lend my voice in saying that Mike is one of the best people and teachers that we have had the privilege of knowing.
Shame on you Max McGee for not supporting one of your teachers in order to dodge liability. Guilty until proven innocent (and even then, ruined) is the way PAUSD treats its teachers.

[Post removed.]

Of course we all hope these charges aren't true. But what's with doubting the victim and her accusations? What would she possibly have to gain? I know the law is innocent until proven guilty, but I have a hard time presuming innocence in a case like this. Just because he's a fabulous teacher doesn't mean he couldn't have done this. And what's with the criticism of McGee? How could he not remove Mike given the accusations?!?

Remove the teacher from his post, sure, but do not forget that these are still just accusations (from 11 years ago!) and nothing has been proven yet. McGee's letter sounds as if Mike is already convicted.

Mike was a wonderful teacher to my children. They adored him and they grew so much during their time with him. Obviously this news is troubling, and we certainly don't know the details of the case. My heart goes out to everyone in this case, to the child and her family and to Mike and his family. All are hurting, no matter the facts.

I too was troubled by the letter. I would not expect the district to defend in light of these charges, but the language was inflammatory. I have young teens who are seeing someone they placed their trust in for years accused of something they can't comprehend. Having such language flung by the superintendent does not help the hundreds of children Mike has taught. They need loving support. My kids have not seen the letter, and I hope that they never do, but please PAUSD - think of all the kids that have gone through that classroom. One can be sensitive to the victim and fair to the accused.

As Shakespeare said "Don't shoot the messenger". McGee did the right thing dismissing Mike until this whole thing gets sorted and his expression of disgust over the allegations was one I'm sure most of us would share having just read the details tegarding sexual abuse of a child. Mike was my child's teacher and was a very caring and nurturing teacher. Hoping like everyone else this is not true but sad for the victim and Mike if it is.

As the father of a child currently at Ohlone, I'm 100% supportive and appreciative of Max's tone, message, and actions -- as well as his justifications. I'm not sure what everyone is upset about re: Max's direct/honest messaging -- please provide context. I read it as someone with a bias to protect children first.

Then there's the other side of the camp -- "Please hold your head up high still, even if you really are guilty, I'm sure you have changed."

That's unbelievable/reprehensible to say about a male adult who is trusted with children.

I see a large outcry of support for an (admittedly) beloved teacher. But where is the outcry of support for the victim who (if the charges are true) was sexually abused from the ages of 8 to 11 years old?? We’re talking about an innocent, little girl being violated here! Shame on all of you for being so quick to throw your sentiments and backing around someone who may have committed this horrific monstrosity.

We're talking about a young lady who is from THIS community! Think of how you would feel if you were this (now) young woman reading all of these calls for support for her (yes, "alleged") perpetrator. Think of how you would feel if you were the parent of this girl. I am ashamed to be a part of this community who seems so quick to support the accused instead of the victim. Ridiculous!

And a note to the victim: I am SO sorry for YOU. I hope you are getting the support and help you need to navigate through this incredibly difficult time. There many of us out here who have heartfelt feelings for what YOU are going through!

@Buddhalove thanks for your comments. I too am disappointed in parts of this community. Like everyone, we hope for the truth to surface, but comments like...

"You are extraordinary. I will pray for your swift exoneration of all charges. "

Man, whether this teacher is guilty or not, and I absolutely hope he gets a fair trial -- for other victims of sexual abuse by their teachers etc. trying to find the courage to speak out (and protect others), seeing comments like that from the community may just shut them down.

I agree that our support should go to this child. All victims have the right to be believed. I just wish that the superintendent had used a more factual tone as the school principal did. These charges are confusing enough, and I will believe the victim here and talked to my children. But they loved this person and it is hard enough to comprehend the charges without the language. I think the district is probably doing the right thing with its administrative response. I think in cases like this of abuse, the victim needs to be believed, but having gone through this within my family it is important to remember that there are people - real people - who love and care for every person involved in this event. I truly believe we can be supportive to the victim and take appropriate measures, while understanding the emotions and need for support for the other kids. I did not lie to my kids. I did not tell them that it probably wasn't true. I told them the truth, that the charges were made and that this is really hard to hear and understand. I asked them if they were aware of anything or if they were ever in danger so that they could get the help that they need.

It is the nature of this crime to make people (who don't necessarily know Mike) feel disgusted and find the alleged acts reprehensible. I see nothing wrong with giving support to someone that we know very closely and dearly, and to give him our support. I wonder what would have happened to Mike if he was implicated in a hit and run accident 14 years ago.

To everyone jumping to Mike's defense, I would suggest you reserve judgment.

My kid had Mike and had a good experience. I had an in-law who was also a very respected teacher and community member. It turned out he had molested several, but not all, of the young family members. No one said anything for decades. The legal process is still playing out but we have learned a lot about child sex abuse in the meantime. One of the main reasons that offenders get away with it for so long is that everyone close enough to get some hints cannot process it without their psyches exploding. It is very hard to believe we can be so wrong about a person. The kids also often feel a little complicit so even when it goes past the point of wanted attention/affection they don't talk.


I would suggest everyone respect the process here - both the innocent before guilty part and "I liked him so he can't have done it".

Parents - the district will be sending out much needed guidelines on how to talk to kids about this. It is important that a kid feels the answer could be yes or could be no. The one thing I would criticize about handling is this should have been done first, before mass email to district.

I hope justice is served. I recall the Palo Alto nursery school teacher who was exonerated after the Palo Alto police "irrefutable evidence" turned out to be false. Of course that teacher's reputation was smeared all over the place and I wonder if he ever recovered. On the other hand bad things like the allegations do happen and it is awful if true.
It too early to conclude anything.

I'm more than a little taken aback by people writing in support of Airo. While I understand your desire to support a person who you strongly believe to have had positive influence on your child's life, you need to reserve judgment in favor of Airo every bit as much as those with the opposite reaction need to reserve their condemnation of the man until the allegations can be corroborated or demonstrated to be false.

My gut reaction is that I do not see the benefit to the victim or her family (particularly her mother, who comes out of this looking really bad) to make this up out of whole cloth. Anything short of a complete fabrication renders Airo unsuitable to be working with children. I am surprised McGee reacted by instituting termination procedures and sending out the letter, particularly given the recent experience with the Paly teacher. I'm assuming he may be privy to non-public information (either from the police or through the PAUSD's own investigation) that convinced him of Airo's guilt as well as the legal consequences of publicly terminating Airo the way he did.

It just gets "curioser and curioser"! Hope the truth prevails...

Was Mike teaching during the week between the arrest warrant and self-surrender?

I am quite shocked to come across this article; and frankly even more shocked to read through the community's comments. Two things come to mind; for those who want to support Airo; do so in your own ways. Contact him, his family [portion removed], his friends to show your support. Do it privately. This case is resonating through the community with two sides. It is human nature to sit and judge but if you wish to do so, please do it privately and not in a public forum. This is not a place to support/judge Airo and the girl.

It is unfortunate in a case like this that the girl will not be identified therefore harder for the public and the community to publicly support or condemn her.

Airo will have his day in court; his lawyer is the one responsible for defending him to the community. The community's responsibility is not to publicly support or condemn all parties involved.

It is saddenig; I truly hope there are no more victims that he may have violated out there but if there are, this public forum is not reflecting on a community that would be supportive or kind to those who do speak out against him.

Please remember that many other popular figures (ie, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Catholic priests, etc), were figures in their community and quite frankly to many that were in their "inner circle," the accusations were shocking and many people were in disbelief.

Please keep Palo Alto a community where the accused have a fair shot at a trial and those who have been wronged have a safe haven to find justice without worrying about being victim-shamed or condemned.

Moderator's Note: The following comment is being moved here from a separate topic so all comments are together.

----

I was fondled, forcibly kissed, physically restrained, and molested 5 times by 5 men in different circumstances from the ages of 10-14. I had one thing in common with this case: a mother with issues of her own who was unable to see what was going on. After the first molestation, I'm sure I radiated a sense of insecurity and vulnerability that drew pedophiles and abusers to me, and I was already traumatized and terrified of male strangers. If I had the misfortune to get isolated with one with bad intent, I was an easy victim: I froze in fear.

I am horrified by the vigorous public support some school parents are unquestioningly giving the teacher. If it is undisputed that he moved in with a student's mother and had an unaffectionate relationship with the mom while publicly holding hands with the child (irrespective of the other allegations), his judgement about appropriate boundaries renders him questionable as a teacher. Any teacher in the current era who is not acutely aware of, and avoiding the appearance of, inappropriate physical touching of a child is not fit to work with children. It's unfortunate that this reduces the degree to which teachers can support their students, but those are the rules, and the rules are there to PROTECT CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL TRAUMA.

Boys and girls are prevented from developing healthy self-concepts (self-identity, mind-body connection, self-worth, independence, self-confidence, etc.) when they are taken advantage of and used by adults (or older children/teens) who are only able to think of their own excitement and pleasure at the use of a child's body for the adult's lust or obsession. Molestation is a theft, a violation, a burglary, an invasion. It causes deep harm that is very difficult to cure. A molested child will never have the security or freedom of being able to unquestioningly trust others, because their psyche has been rewired to blame themselves for any bad outcome. Such a child may always question and doubt their parents' love, their value as a person, their ability to be recognized for any value other than someone else's use of their body. The cost to the child and the adult that child grows into is incalculable.

It doesn't matter in the slightest how many students this teacher has helped if he has damaged one child in this way. It is unseemly for parents to shout out their support for the teacher when the uncontested facts are so clearly in violation of a teacher's requirement not to harm children: he moved in with a student's parent and gave the child physical attention he did not give his adult partner -- he created a domestic situation where the child was put into competition with her mother. It was reported that another parent had previously noticed and complained about this teacher's inappropriate focus on that parent's child as well as the child in this case. He appears to have crossed boundaries in ways that his profession forbids.

Do try to put yourself in an empathetic perspective: even if this teacher was great for your student, does that at all balance the damage he's done to another student? Try to understand the damage you may be participating in by demonstrating that the person with more power will be publicly supported over the young victim. If you absolutely have to tell the teacher you support him, do it privately instead of shouting in public. Try to understand that those molested as children have huge obstacles to overcome and do not make these issues public without great courage and at personal cost. There are too many clues here for unquestioning support of the teacher; if your support for the teacher could compound the impact he's had, temper it.

I am posting to make a few points, starting with the observation that this is as serious as it gets. [Portion removed.]

1. According to this story, the police began their investigation in May 2014, more than 18 months ago. As part of that investigation they interviewed Ohlone principal Nicki Smith. So here are the important questions that the Weekly should put to McGee and Smith:

A. When was Smith interviewed by the police;
B. When did Smith alert the district, if ever, that the police interviewed her in connection with a criminal investigation of a teacher;

2. The story says that the fingerprint check went to the DOJ and the DOJ eventually sent the booking form to the district. But the warrant was issued more than week prior to the district being notified. [Did] the PAPD notify the district when it had the warrant? And why was he permitted to self-surrender a week after issuance of the warrant during which time he remained in the classroom and around children?

3. The story states that Airo was dismissed from his position at PACCC onsite daycare but then he before "left the daycare program following a complaint filed by another parent, Doe's half-sister told police. (Police later interviewed this parent, who said she filed it because he was "overly involved" with her daughter and with Doe and "ignoring other children.")."

[Portion removed.]

4. If [portion removed] Nicki Smith failed to inform the district that a teacher was under investigation by the police, should she be terminated? I think so. In fact, I think McGee should put her on leave pending the outcome of that investigation. [Portion removed.]

5. If [portion removed] Scott Bowers failed to check references that would have revealed this situation long ago, should he be terminated? I think so. If Scott Bowers was informed by PACCC of the allegations but hired Airo anyway [portion removed], he should not only be fired, he should be reported to the credentialing commission for malfeasance himself. McGee should investigate this matter and place Bowers on leave pending the outcome of that investigation.

6. The district needs an anti-grooming policy. Scott Bowers is the same official who failed to understand the significance of grooming allegations against Kevin Sharp and perhaps he has now done it again. The district needs help.

[Portion removed.]

I want to make it clear that I am not typically your hysterical parent. In this case, however, I am stunned at how far the balance went to protect a reputation rather than kids.

I was sitting on the fence until the details were released. Everything about this is classic textbook for a certain profile of abuser - a type that is very charismatic and typically has many victims and does not get caught for decades. While it is not proof of guilt, it puts the case into a high risk basket.

Given the specifics, you have to actually talk to kids to find out if anything was going on. You cannot get any comfort from a lack of reports or general popularity. I won't go into any details, but there is no doubt in my mind that our family should have been contacted by the police in the investigation.

I like Mike, but I like kids more.

[Portion removed.] I understand the horror and sickness many parents and children must be experiencing and my heart goes out to them fully, that said I would very much encourage ALL parents to really employ some critical thinking when assessing what makes a proper educator. Behaving like, and creating your entire classroom like you yourself are a child is unsettling. Basing your assessments of a teacher on whether or not student likes them is irresponsible, people who commit crimes like this often wouldn't have the opportunity to do so if children didn't like him. Now this is not a defined statement saying that he did it, but maybe some of you supporters should have been looking at him different. God bless all involved, it's a hideous mess.

Hug your kids and keep them safe and especially OUT from under any circumstance that could cause grief and regret for the next 40-50 years.
Andre Edwards was convicted of sick stuff at Ralston Middle School also. If any of you saw the Patch article about Andre Edwards 2-3 years ago you would remember all the outpouring of love and support for Andre Edwards - written in the comment section of those then Patch articles. Mothers galore were supporting this criminal for the mere fact that "he had never done anything to one of their daughters". Now in this case in Palo Alto - the alleged criminal is being supported in the comments section (once again) because "we think he is a fine teacher and my kid likes him".

Here is MY note to those supporting the gross behavior of those trusted to protect kids - BUT - in stead - take advantage of them: Wake UP. These-types of people don't give out warning signs to those parents of kids that are NOT vulnerable - they prey on others all the time functioning within their current job.

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