An assistant principal in Los Angeles was arrested on Friday and charged with the sexual abuse of eight children between 2015 and 2019, while he worked as an elementary school counselor in Ventura County.

David Lane Braff Jr., 42, from Thousand Oaks, California, is accused of molesting children aged 6 to 10 in his office at McKevett Elementary School, which is part of the Santa Paula Unified School District, approximately 70 miles west of Los Angeles.

The charges stem from an investigation by a cold case sexual abuse unit, according to Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. He mentioned that McKevett Elementary officials had alerted authorities when the incidents were initially reported.

Despite the allegations, Mr. Braff continued his career in public education and volunteered for various children’s programs.

District Attorney Nasarenko described an “extensive effort” to identify other potential victims at different schools and locations.

“This case undermines the very foundation of what we consider a school to be—a safe learning environment,” he said.

Mr. Braff is currently being held on $3 million bail and is scheduled for arraignment on Monday.

In a brief phone call, Carol Braff, Mr. Braff’s mother, denied the charges, asserting, “He’s worked with children his whole life. He’s never been in trouble.”

The Santa Paula school district issued a statement acknowledging that they had been aware of the abuse allegations since 2018 and had reported the matter to law enforcement, initiating an internal investigation. However, it remains unclear why the previous accusations did not lead to charges.

On Saturday, the district did not respond to inquiries regarding whether they had informed Mr. Braff’s subsequent employers about the allegations.

According to a LinkedIn profile that matches Mr. Braff’s personal information and career history, he left his position in Santa Paula in 2019 and subsequently worked for a charter school network. He later resigned from that role and became an assistant principal and counselor at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Los Angeles.

Ingenium Schools did not respond to inquiries about Mr. Braff on Saturday. However, the school issued a statement to NBC Los Angeles expressing that it was “devastated” by the recent allegations and had taken “immediate steps to ensure the safety of its students.”

While teachers in every state are required to pass criminal background checks before being hired, child advocacy groups have long warned about a practice known as “passing the trash.” This occurs when school employees accused of sexual misconduct—though not criminally charged—are able to take up new positions without disclosure of prior allegations or disciplinary actions.

The Every Student Succeeds Act, signed by President Barack Obama in 2015, sought to end this practice by requiring states to pass laws prohibiting schools from helping employees move to new education positions if there is reasonable suspicion of sexual misconduct.

However, these regulations have not always been enforced. A 2022 report from the U.S. Department of Education found that only 10 states mandated school job applicants to disclose any history of sexual misconduct investigations. Eighteen states required current or past employers to disclose such information to prospective employers.

California recently strengthened protections in this area. In late September, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring job applicants to disclose all prior school employers. The law also mandates that hiring schools contact those employers to inquire about any serious misconduct allegations and request records of investigations and disciplinary actions. However, this law was not in effect when Mr. Braff was hired for his most recent role.

Mr. Braff’s LinkedIn profile highlighted that he had received a “Counselor of the Month” award while working in Santa Paula and had experience in after-school programs and youth recreation. The profile states, “I aim to continue my career in school counseling. I have strong communication skills, enjoy working with people and students, and am adept at problem-solving.”