Ex-Brophy Teacher Daniel Whitehead Arrested in Student-Sex Case from 1960's
We are thrilled that the victims came forward after all of these years. We are also happy that their cases will be heard and this scum teacher can have his day in court.
Read report below:
Phoenix police on Saturday arrested a former Brophy College Preparatory and math teacher on suspicion of sexually abusing several past students.The principal Bob Ryan at Brophy, an all-male school, released a statement that said the school will continue to cooperate with the police and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in the investigation.
The arrest came nine months after Daniel Whitehead, 71, was fired from the private Catholic school after two former Brophy students, now adults, accused him of inappropriate sexual advances. Whitehead had been a lay faculty member since 1967.
Whitehead faces charges of sexual assault, attempted sexual abuse, furnishing harmful items to a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to police.
“Brophy College Preparatory takes its responsibility to protect its students seriously and to provide any and all support to victims of abuse who are or have been students of Brophy,” the statement read. “Brophy is grateful to those who have come forward and continues to pray for them and all victims of abuse.”Police were alerted many months ago in November about the allegations against Whitehead.
School officials told police that two former students accused Whitehead of touching them inappropriately and against their will while at his home.Initially, none of the victims wanted to come forward but since then, four accusers as well as witnesses came forward, which allowed police to conduct the investigation.
According to police, the alleged incidents would have taken place in the 1980s, when the men were teenagers and Whitehead was a teacher at the school. Thompson said it is possible that incidents occurred as early as the 1960s and more recently.
Police believe media coverage led to people contacting police.
Police said investigators learned that Whitehead had invited the accusers to his home for various reasons, including tutoring and teaching home repair, during the 1980s.
Whitehead had taught mathematics, was a golf coach and was the moderator of the Calc Club at Brophy.
