TUCSON (AZ)
KVOA-TV [Tucson AZ]
August 2, 2024
By Chorus Nylander
ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KVOA) – A now former teacher at Casas Christian School in Oro Valley told the News 4 Tucson Investigators that he faced retaliation after reporting sexual misconduct allegations against another teacher.
It was a big story News 4 Tucson’s Chief Investigative Reporter Chorus Nylander broke in 2022. [Play Video]
A now former teacher at Casas Christian School in Oro Valley told the News 4 Tucson Investigators that he faced retaliation after reporting sexual misconduct allegations against another teacher.
The Oro Valley Police Department got involved and investigated the multiple claims from students that they experienced sexual misconduct from a teacher. Police were not able to find enough evidence to bring any charges against the teacher but the school decided to part ways with the teacher.
Durrell Lopez said he was the teacher who reported the student’s claims to school leadership about the other former teacher.
For the first time he is telling his side of the story in an exclusive interview with the N4T Investigators.
“Everyone is kind to me, everyone is nice to me, then my third month at the school three different classrooms of students start to make different accusations,” he explained.
Lopez said he took their reports very seriously, some of the girls who were allegedly victimized by the other teacher asked Mr. Lopez not to tell anyone.
Lopez said he tried doing research and leaned on his faith to figure out how to approach the situation. Six days later he shared what was reported to him to school leaders.
“Students reported that this teacher flirted with girls, looked at girl’s butts, grabbed a girl’s butt, palmed a girl’s breast, asked a girl to rub lotion on him, massaged girl’s shoulders,” he said. “When I reported this that’s when everything tanked.”
Lop-ez thought he did the right thing but felt he was treated differently by school leadership and some parents and students after his report.
He said that he was reprimanded formally by the school for waiting the six days to report what he was told.
During our reporting of the situation in November 2022, a spokesperson for Casas Christian School sent us a statement indicating that all CCS staff receive annual training on mandatory reporting protocols.
Lopez said he never received any such training.
“Not me and I’m the one who made the report,” he said.
Lopez, who was a new science teacher at the school, would only stick around for two more years. He said each passing year the “retaliation” grew worse.
“It made everything hell for me,” he said. “I believe there was ongoing retaliation.”
He claims following his report the school assigned him two team members to help train him but he claims those colleagues “set him up” and regularly issued bad reports against him that he felt wasn’t justified.
The News 4 Tucson Investigators were not given access to those reports to review what was said.
“In year one the school gave me a bad evaluation, the next year they told me to look for a new job because they were undecided about my employment,” he explained.
Lopez decided it was time to leave and went and started his own private academy.
In 2022, we interviewed one of the mother’s of an alleged victim. At the time she did not want to reveal her identity, she told us her then 13 year old daughter had one of her breasts groped by the accused teacher.
“She said that her and many other students had tried to tell the teachers and administration about what had been happening,” she told us,
Now for the first time that mother, Danielle Dolin, is wanting her identity revealed to support Mr. Lopez.
Dolin said she has pulled both of her daughters from Casas Christian School and thanks Lopez for being willing to listen to her daughter’s allegations.
“Mr. Lopez believed my child when other tenured teachers did not,” Dolin said.
Dolin told us that she didn’t believe school leaders took her daughter’s claims seriously. Now her family is trying to move on from what she describes as a nightmare.
“I’ll never forget, she’ll never forget, Mr. Lopez will never forget,” she said.
Lopez was touched by her support and said, “My message to her and her family is my message to all families who had to deal with this, God loves you he sees you.”
The News 4 Tucson Investigators tried to get Casas Christian School’s side to each allegation made by Mr. Lopez a spokesperson sent us the following statement:
“We are sad to hear that Mr. Lopez has a different perspective of his time here at CCS. To protect Mr. Lopez’s privacy, we cannot discuss the circumstances around his departure. We wish Mr. Lopez the best as he launches his new venture, and we pray for God’s wisdom and guidance in his life as his journey continues.”
If you have a story you’d like the News 4 Tucson Investigators to look into email us at investigators@kvoa.com or call our tip line at 520-955-4444.