FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Santa Ana Unified School District’s Statement on the Arrest of Jaime Orendain

SANTA ANA, CA (August 30, 2017) – Santa Ana Unified School District was notified, August 30, 2017 that Jaime Orendain, an assistant coach of the Santa Ana High School Boys Varsity Wrestling team and an activity supervisor, was arrested and booked for allegations of sexual misconduct with a former student.

These allegations are being taken seriously and are in direct conflict of the District’s zero-tolerance policy relating to staff misconduct, in which all district employees are held at the highest ethical standards. This includes reporting any suspicious activity involving abuse or neglect of a child directly to authorities, as mandated by law. Failure to do so is a criminal violation of the law.

SAUSD is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for each of the 50,000 students who attend our educational and extra-curricular activities throughout the year. The District’s arduous and in-depth staff application process includes many detailed, investigative steps, all designed to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. This includes, successfully passing a fingerprint and federal, state and local background checks before interacting with students. SAUSD’s rigorous process includes multiple interviews and an in-depth screening that consists of the following:

* All potential SAUSD employees undergo a rigorous two-tier process, which includes a local and national background check before employment. All candidates are required to complete an application and undergo a mandatory national background check as well as fingerprinting.
* A conditional offer of employment is provided to all approved applicants who pass both the national background check and fingerprints.
* All approved and cleared applicants finalize paperwork and sign contract.

This due diligence is required for each district employee.

In the days and weeks ahead, we will work closely with the Santa Ana Police Department on this investigation. We will deploy counseling support and resources to Santa Ana High School to support our students, staff, and parents. Santa Ana High School students who may need counseling support should contact the principal immediately. Any employee, parent, guardian and/or student with questions or concerns about this incident should contact the Santa Ana Police Department. We will update the community as information becomes available.

Founded in 1888, the Santa Ana Unified School District is the 7th largest school district in California, and the largest school district in Orange County. The district educates approximately 50,000 students at 57 schools throughout the city of Santa Ana. Approximately 60% of district students are English learners with Spanish being the most common language, and approximately 91% of the student population is eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

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Contact: Deidra Powell
Chief Communications Officer
(714) 558-5555 Office, (714) 673-4995 Mobile