BARSTOW — Police arrested a teacher at Barstow Junior High School during the weekend for suspicion of child molestation.

Gerard Schrader, 56, was arrested on the 900 block of Ann Street at 1:14 p.m. on Friday and booked into the Barstow Jail on charges of committing a lewd act on or with a child under 14-years-old and committing a lewd act with a child aged between 14- and 15-years-old, according to the booking log of the Barstow Jail.

Jerry Bergmans, the superintendent of the Barstow Unified School District, said that students brought complaints against Schrader to Susan Levine, assistant superintendent of personnel at the district. He said he did not know specifics about the complaints, but they involved accusations of molestation.

“It involved some of our female students and things that they told our assistant superintendent,” Bergmans said.

Levine, who is a mandated reporter and required to report complaints to the authorities, conducted a small investigation into the allegations on her own and then called the police, Bergmans said. The investigation is now being handled by the Barstow Police Department.

The police department did not return calls for comment on Monday.

Bergmans said Schrader, who teachers Language Arts at BJHS, has been placed on leave until there is a resolution to the complaints. None of the children who made complaints were injured, Bergmans said. He said the junior high’s administration was informed of Schrader’s arrest during the weekend, and counselors will be available when school resumes Tuesday.

Schrader is not the first BUSD teacher to have allegations of molestation levied against him. In March 2007, a jury found a former Cameron Elementary school teacher not guilty of multiple charges of molestation. James McKinley was arrested in January 2006 after several students came forward with accounts of inappropriate touching.

The police department is still investigating the allegations against Schrader. Anyone with information can call the Barstow Police Department at 256-2211. People with information that wish to remain anonymous can call WeTip at 1-800-78-CRIME or leave information on the WeTip Web site at www.wetip.com.

Contact the writer:

(760) 256-4121 or aaron_aupperlee@link.freedom.com