Four City Employees On Paid Leave In Lesher Center Scandal

Four city employees are on paid administrative leave while the Contra Costa District Attorney's office decides whether to file charges against them in the Lesher Center sexual scandal.

The employees are accused of failing to tell police about a suspected child molester who was fired from the center in November, according to a story in the Contra Costa Times.

The employee, Jason Pedroza, was a theater teacher at the center. He was charged in February with two felonies and two misdemeanors in relation to inappropriate acts with children.

The Times obtained a police memo that states the four city employees were informed about accusations against Pedroza in early November by The Ballet School in Walnut Creek.

Pedroza was fired from the Lesher Center less than a week later. However, the police memo states the four employees who were aware of the situation did not report the accusations to police.

The four employees are Scott Denison, Lesher Center manager; Barry Gordon, city recreation and community services director; Kevin Safine, Gordon's assistant; and Sally Rice, city human resources director.

City officials have also hired an outside legal firm to look into whether city employees were at fault for not informing law enforcement authorities.