Ex-Brophy Teacher Arrested in Student-Sex Case

By Cecilia Chan and Eugene Scott
Arizona Republic
September 9, 2012

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/09/08/20120908PNI0908-met-phoenix-brophy-former-teacher-arrested-student-sex-case-brk.html

Phoenix Police Department

Phoenix police on Saturday arrested a former Brophy College Preparatory teacher on suspicion of sexually abusing several past students.

The arrest came nine months after Daniel Whitehead, 71, was fired from the private Catholic school after two former Brophy students, now adults, accused him of inappropriate sexual advances. Whitehead had been a lay faculty member since 1967.

Whitehead most recently taught math, said Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a Phoenix police spokesman.

Whitehead faces charges of sexual assault, attempted sexual abuse, furnishing harmful items to a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to police.

Brophy Principal Bob Ryan released a statement on Saturday that said the school will continue to cooperate with the police and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in the investigation.

"Brophy College Preparatory takes its responsibility to protect its students seriously and to provide any and all support to victims of abuse who are or have been students of Brophy," the statement read. "Brophy is grateful to those who have come forward and continues to pray for them and all victims of abuse."

The all-male school in central Phoenix first alerted police of the allegations against Whitehead in November.

School officials told police that two former students accused Whitehead of touching them inappropriately and against their will while at his home.

According to police, the alleged incidents would have taken place in the 1980s, when the men were teenagers and Whitehead was a teacher at the school. Thompson said it is possible that incidents occurred as early as the 1960s and more recently.

"We can only speculate," he said.

Thompson said that if incidents did occur in the 1960s and 1970s, prosecution would likely be hindered by statutes of limitations.

Police initially were unable to proceed with an investigation.

"The problem was none of the victims wanted to come forward," Thompson said. "Originally, we didn't have anything else to pursue this case."

Since then, four accusers as well as witnesses came forward, which allowed police to conduct the investigation.

Thompson said he believes media coverage led to people contacting police.

Police said investigators learned that Whitehead had invited the accusers to his home for various reasons, including tutoring and teaching home repair, during the 1980s.

At his home, the students viewed pornography and were provided alcohol by Whitehead, police said.

Police said Whitehead then fondled or attempted to fondle the victims.

Whitehead had taught mathematics, was a golf coach and was the moderator of the Calc Club at Brophy.

The 17-acre Jesuit campus on Central Avenue has roughly 1,290 students and 85 teachers, according to the school website. The annual tuition for the current school year is $13,200.