Hart expressed the feelings of one of the boys’ moms, despite the fact that neither boy was present at the hearing and none of their relatives testified in court.
“She is speechless and finds it hard to believe she trusted her,” Hart added. “Ms. Ma was known to these parents.” They trusted her and knew who she was.
“It was extremely devastating to learn that not only had their child been abused, but that the abuse had been committed by someone they trusted to look after their children,” he continued.
The former Lincoln Acres Elementary sixth-grade teacher was one of five educators recognized as San Diego County’s Teacher of the Year in 2022.
Seven months after being given the award, she was taken into custody when the 12-year-old student’s mom called the police to report what they believed to be an inappropriate relationship.
