Former C’bad teacher sentenced for string of molestations

CARLSBAD — A Superior Court judge sentenced a former Carlsbad elementary school teacher to prison April 26 relating to the molestation of several students in his classroom.
Dressed in a two-piece suit, Raymond Firth stood emotionless as Judge Daniel Goldstein addressed the former teacher in a Vista courtroom about the ramifications his actions have had on the victims and their families.
“When a teacher does this to a child, it changes their whole life,” said Goldstein, adding that the emotional injuries to the children may not be revealed for at least another decade. “They will question their worth, they’ll question authority, they will never have real trust for anybody.”
By violating the “precious position of trust” that a teacher has with students, Goldstein told the defendant that he not only changed the children’s’ lives forever, but also eroded the confidence parents have when they send their children to school hoping for the best.
“You are every parents’ worst nightmare,” Goldstein said.
At 3:51 p.m., moments after the judge’s remarks, Firth was handcuffed and taken into custody where he will remain for at least the next two years. Previously, Firth remained out of custody on $450,000 bail having only served one day in custody since being charged in November 2008.
Hired by the Carlsbad Unified School District in March 2000, Firth taught second and third grade at Pacific Rim Elementary until he resigned in October 2007.
Firth, 39, took a plea agreement last month admitting to two felony counts of sexual battery and one count of false imprisonment relating to the molestation of three of his third-grade students between 2006 and 2008 as a teacher at Pacific Rim Elementary School.
Facing up to 18 years in prison if convicted on the original six counts of committing a lewd and lascivious act against a child under the age of 14, Firth took the plea deal and was guaranteed a sentence of three years and eight months in prison. He will also have to register as sex offender for life.
The three students, who didn’t know one another, told officials that Firth molested them while he was alone with them in class. The last victim added that the defendant had a “class rule” that his female students had to sit on his lap while he helped them with their homework.
Despite wanting more prison time, the parents of the children agreed to the terms of the plea agreement, in part to ensure a direct and immediate route to confinement.
Because of his clean criminal record, Deputy District Attorney Kelly Mok said Firth may only have to serve half of the actual sentence adding that he will then be placed on parole for three years.
Fallout from Mr. Firth’s case SUBHEAD
While addressing Firth at his sentencing Monday, Judge Goldstein told the defendant that his actions not only hurt the children and their families but the teaching profession as well, and that the total cost of that type of conduct may never be fully known.
One former employee of Pacific Rim believes he knows all too well the cost of Firth’s crime. Justin Thorp, a computer lab assistant at the school, said in a phone interview recently that he was wrongly fired in the wake of Firth’s arrest. Thorp said he was first scolded by Principal Robert Devich for playing tether ball with students at lunch in September 2008, which he immediately stopped. However, he said students continued to come into the lab to work on both school and nonschool assignments, like art and poetry, without the supervision of a teacher.
Thorp was adamant that during the time he spent in the lab with the children the door was always open. While he admits to telling students that they were always welcome to come by and talk, Thorp said the children came to him not the other way around. “I never said, ‘Come on kids, come and be with Mr. Thorp here,’” he explained.
Outside the courtroom after Firth’s sentencing, Assistant Superintendent Torrie Norton said the school district terminated Thorp for defying authoritative direction in the spring of 2009. She said Thorp was a classified employee and therefore was not allowed to be unsupervised with a student unless there was a purpose; however, despite being reprimanded, he continued to allow students to come into the lab to talk or to work on nonlab assignments without a teacher present.
According to Thorp, he was hired by the district in December 2006 and never had a problem until September 2008. After that, he said he felt his openness and kindness was misinterpreted by some of the faculty and district officials, who he said became suspicious of his motives after Firth’s crimes came to light.
“Whatever people need, if they want me to help them I will; it’s just my nature,” Thorp said.
Thorp is not alone in questioning the school district’s motives in connection with the Firth case. Parents of the students molested by Firth have openly criticized the Carlsbad Unified School District for how they handled the matter.
Following Firth’s hearing, Christy, the mother of the first student to come forward, told reporters she got the impression from the district that they were more worried about their reputation then her daughter’s well-being. She said she repeatedly received calls from Principal Devich asking her to tell her daughter not to discuss the case with other students.
“The whole point of this to me is to speak out,” said Christy, who wore orange in honor of Chelsea King, a Poway High School senior who was murdered in February by a convicted sex offender. “I never told my daughter she’s not allowed to talk about it, because that would be contradictory to what I’ve raised her to believe.”
Chris, the father of the last victim, told reporters that he was also frustrated with the district, because he had to find out about Firth’s charges through a story in The Coast News.
Like the first mother, Chris said he didn’t understand why it took more than a year after Firth was first charged by prosecutors for the district to finally officially inform parents at Pacific Rim of the ex-teacher’s molestation case. He said he would have expected a letter from the district immediately following Firth’s arrest.
“I think there’s a lot of liability on the school district because of this,” Chris said.
With Norton by his side, Walter Freeman, assistant superintendent of business services for the district, said the call to the school’s parents last week was placed because Superindent John Roach felt it was an appropriate time to alert the community about the case because a conviction had occurred and the sentencing was set to take place.
Freeman and Norton defended the district’s handling of the molestation case saying the moment the allegation came to the district, Firth was removed from the classroom and the authorities were notified.
When asked why parents were not notified after criminal charges had been filed, Freedman repeatedly stated, “An allegation is an allegation.”
Despite the charges, the district still has an “obligation” to protect current and former employees, Norton added.
A time to heal SUBHEAD
“Look at me now Mr. Firth, I’m successful and committed to going to a great school,” said a former student who was molested by Firth. The girl spoke directly to Firth at his sentencing. She said the former teacher molested her and her younger sister.
“I’m no longer worried and scared,” said the girl, who is not one of the victims from the aforementioned cases. “I’m not scared of teachers any more. I’m not afraid of school or to be followed by you. I’m not scared because I’m a firm believer you’ll get what you deserve.”
She said Firth repeatedly molested her when she was a student in his second-grade class. “I was a child who could not fight back, could not speak to anyone of this or my family would be in trouble, so you said.”
During the sentencing, Chris said there is a great deal of relief that his daughter won’t have to testify; though, he said he will always wonder if the decision to accept the plea was the right move. Further, he said it has been difficult for him to control his emotions around Firth, especially today as the defendant entered the courthouse in front of him and then was only a few feet from him as he spoke at the hearing.
“Prior to this case, I did not believe I could have so much hate and anger for one person, but the abuses committed against our daughter have changed my perspective forever,” Chris said. “You will never have our families forgiveness but you will not take anymore of our precious time.”
The girl’s father said he believes there are other victims and urged parents and students to speak up if they or someone they know has been molested by Firth.
Also at the sentencing, Christy read a letter from her daughter to Firth. The young victim said at first she didn’t want to get the defendant in trouble, but now looking back she realizes that his prison sentence should have been even longer because he molested other students too.
“The thought of you behind bars makes me feel more comfortable so does the fact that people tell me I’m a hero,” the student said. “I think I’m a hero for coming forward, and you are a villain for doing something like that to me in the first place.”

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