Mark Berndt's Former Students Come Forward: Defenders & Accusers (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

More students are coming forward with stories about former Miramonte Elementary teacher Mark Berndt, and at least one is choosing to stand up for him.

Angelica Zuniga, now a 16-year-old high schooler, is one of those students. She had Berndt as a teacher in 2003 for the third grade and told the Associated Press, "They're calling him 'monster.' He's just not that kind of person."

Zuniga continued to defend her former teacher, saying "He was one of the most amazing teachers out there. He's dedicated his life to us, and I want to stick up for him."

Scroll down to see pictures of Zuniga with Berndt.

Tragically, some of the Miramonte families that are speaking out after Berndt's arrest on Monday suspect that their children may also be potential victims. On Thursday, school parent Obdulia Bueno came forward with a potential piece of evidence: a photograph that Berndt had taken and sent home with her son. Her third-grade child is depicted eating a cookie with a white liquid on it, and Bueno told CBS2 that she thinks it could be Berndt's bodily fluid.

WATCH:

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy confirmed that there has been an increase in the number of parents and children with complaints about teacher molestation across the district. In an abundance of caution, Deasy has opted for the immediate removal of a second teacher at the same Miramonte Elementary school, as well as the firing of a music teacher at Hamilton High School. Vance Miller was removed from the classroom in 2010 after former students claimed that he had sexual relationships with them, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Comments

[TJFod]

03:52 PM on 02/07/2012

A gay teacher which is why the church FINALLY banned gay priests after so much damage was inflicted.

wait until gay sex ed is taught in class by teachers who will prosyltize kids the public schools will die.

[Michael Ludin]

06:28 PM on 02/04/2012

this girl needs some counseling -- her blind faith may stem from something more deviant. Honey, they have pictures -- if not you, certainly ones in the other pictures.

[capt ayhab]

03:06 PM on 02/04/2012

He is going to enjoy being in the receiving end it with his cell mates named  Buba .

In prisons inmate are not kind with child molesters.

[Leon Holston Sr]

11:35 AM on 02/04/2012

i just hope her didnt stick it to her,sorry i meant i hope he sticks up for her.because according to the media he was doing a lot of sticking somewhere.

[btboone8]

01:30 AM on 02/04/2012

Even Hitler had some friends but it doesn't mitigate any of his atrocious behavior.

[msgreneeye]

10:32 AM on 02/04/2012

touche'

[Nelle N]

12:43 AM on 02/04/2012

You guys need to realize where this young girl is coming from. It's hard imagine or believe that someone you greatly admire and put on such a high pedestal could commit such defile acts. I remember when I was in high school as a Freshman, one of the "good" teachers was fired for accused inappropriate contact with one of the students. I remember almost all of my classmates ended up turning on that student (somehow we all found who accused him) even I doubted some of her accusations, even though the teacher was a little too close to his female students this particular student wasn't exactly a trustworthy person. Even when they are guilty it's still hard to believe, you know not all people are what they portray themselves to be but it's because you DON'T WANT to believe it because this is someone you put so much trust into and you yourself could have been a victim. It's just scary to think about.

[mem60]

10:25 PM on 02/03/2012

Last year, a teacher who I held in high esteem and genuinely liked as a friend and fellow staff member for the last 14 years was arrested on several counts of possessing, possible distributing and possible manufacturing of child porn. OMG, no one saw it coming, he who never missed work, called in as absent, next day his classroom computers were wheeled out by detectives, causing our minds to imagine the circumstances leading to all this activity, and then we were informed that he was indeed arrested.

I thought I knew him.
Sometimes we'd "wonder" about him--never married, favored certain male students, but that could describe many teachers that we knew. I myself had my favorite students, usually male, as did many other of the office staff. It's not unusual to favor kids over others.
I thought I knew him.
I really thought I knew him.

[judbay]

04:39 AM on 02/04/2012

People never marry for a variety of reasons. In my case, it's health related. Nevertheless, I get your main point-that you think you know someone, but don't really.

[Leon Holston Sr]

11:38 AM on 02/04/2012

you make a great point but dont forget how many people admire and love their priest and would never think they would do what some did to many young boys.

[dhanuw]

09:10 PM on 02/03/2012

This sick animal must be put away for life!

[pdxrose]

08:03 PM on 02/03/2012

Angelica,

If you want to withhold judgment until the trial is complete, you are affirming his rights.

People perceived as nice have committed horrible acts. You haven't been with him 24 hours a day so you can only tell us what you saw.

If he indeed committed the acts he is accused of, none of the good her ever did matters.

We need to pray for the victims of crime

[socalcde]

11:22 PM on 02/03/2012

Perceived? There are pictures and first hand accounts by many students.

[judbay]

04:45 AM on 02/04/2012

I do agree on withholding judgment until the trial is complete, and at the same time acting to protect kids by removing him from teaching or other situations where he could harm folks until the verdict comes in.

[ladiesbane]

03:31 PM on 02/03/2012

Angelica Zuniga, wherever you are, please understand that if a person who is kind, bright, loving, helpful, and sweet does monstrous things, he is a monster.

The BTK Strangler, Dennis Rader, was a beloved family man, Cub Scout leader, and devoted church member. When his wife learned the evidence against him, she nearly lost her mind. But she got a divorce; she didn't pretend it didn't happen.

Dr. John Story, a respected community member and pillar of his church, molested and raped dozens (at least) before getting caught. Would you trust him to be your gynecologist?

Consider Roman Polanski, a brilliant man with a tragic past who has admitting to drugging and raping a minor. Even the fools who defend him might think twice before letting him take one of their daughters into the back room at a party.

No one gets a free pass to abuse children. Once someone does such a thing, none of the good stuff counts for anything, and never will again.

[mathomps]

09:15 PM on 02/03/2012

ladiesbane, wherever you are, you are a lynch mob member. This man may very well be guilty (probably is), but all you know is that which you have have read in the media. You are reaching out to someone who actually is somewhat involved, insulting her for sharing what what she knows and has actually experienced first hand. Let the system find the truth and serve justice. In the meantime, unless you have first hand knowledge of this man's absolute guilt in this case, put away your robes and stop burning witches at the stake.

[hyaofcr]

10:34 PM on 02/03/2012

I thought they made some excellent points without a lynch mob mentality.

[ladiesbane]

10:44 PM on 02/03/2012

Two things: first, while I am often the first person to shout "innocent until proven guilty," and I sometimes take tremendous flack for it, there is overwhelming evidence in this case that includes photographic recordkeeping on the part of the perp, matching bodily fluids on a spoon in the classroom where the incidents took place, and other seriously incriminating evidence. This is one time when I would have felt perfectly comfortable using unmodified statements.

Except that, point two: I said nothing whatsoever about Mark Berndt. Given the egregious evidence against him, I was surprised that some poor kid was allowed to make a public stand in his defense without anyone, such as a parent, pointing out that human monsters almost always maintain protective coloration to gain the trust of their victims. If monsters looked like monsters, we could spot them a mile away, and we'd never let them near our kids.

She knew the good behavior, and assumed he could never have done such a thing, despite his own photographs of feeding semen-iced cookies to children. Miss Zuniga was ignoring the evidence in favor of wishful thinking, which not only endangers her, as a young person, but is a bad mental habit for grownups, too.

But given that I burned no witches, other than Messrs. Rader, Story, and Polanski, you seem to have jumped to a conclusion that I did not.