Stephen T. Rooney was looking for a promotion. He had been a teacher and dean at Foshay Learning Center for more than five years and was ready to rise in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Among his recommendations was a glowing letter from Foshay's principal, Veronique D. Wills, who said he "is highly capable of making significant contributions to the educational community."
Seven months later, in September 2006, Rooney was assigned to Fremont High in South Los Angeles as an assistant principal.
He was arrested in February 2007 for allegedly threatening the stepfather of a then-16-year-old Foshay student he had reportedly been dating, according to police records and interviews.
When no charges were filed, school district officials -- apparently violating their own policy -- transferred Rooney as an assistant principal to Markham Middle School in Watts.
Rooney, 39, was arrested again last month.
He is now in jail, awaiting trial on five counts of committing forcible lewd acts against a 13-year-old Markham student. Rooney pleaded not guilty March 19 and is being held on $1 million bail.
Dmitry Gorin, Rooney's attorney, said his client has done nothing wrong. He said there is "no physical evidence" that proves the charges. Rooney is an educator committed to helping youths and a patriot who serves as a captain in the California National Guard, Gorin said.
The latest arrest has raised questions about why L.A. Unified officials failed to heed signs some parents, teachers and former students say were apparent as Rooney climbed the district's promotional ladder. They say he was prone to angry outbursts with staff and appeared overly friendly with some female students.
During his time at Foshay, Rooney allegedly flirted with girls he taught, collected photos of them and lavished the 16-year-old he allegedly dated with gifts that included a designer purse and an iPod, according to interviews with her relatives and former students.
Rooney began his career in L.A. Unified in 2000 at Peary Middle School in Gardena, where he took over a rowdy eighth-grade science class midyear. He received a letter of recommendation from a colleague in June 2000. "He instilled order [and] discipline and had a sincere concern for the students," Frank Greger wrote.
In an interview, Greger said Rooney was dedicated but wanted to teach physical education. He found that opportunity at Foshay, a kindergarten through 12th-grade campus near the Coliseum.
