El Modena High School
| El Modena High School | |
|---|---|
| File:El Modena HS logo.png | |
| Location | |
 | |
3920 Spring St. Orange, CA 92869 United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | Opened September 1966, Graduated first class June 1968 |
| Principal | John Briquelet |
| Enrollment | 2177[1] |
| Mascot | Vanguard |
| Information | (714) 997-0705 |
| Website | El Modena High School |
El Modena High School, sometimes called El Mo (or "ElMo"), is a traditional 4 year public high school located in the El Modena neighborhood in the eastern portion of the city of Orange in Orange County, California.
The school celebrated its 40th anniversary during the 2006-7 school year. El Modena High is part of the Orange Unified School District and competes in the Century League.
Controversies
The Gay-Straight Alliance
In 1999, when the Gay-Straight Alliance Club applied to be a recognized student club, the board of the Orange Unified School District denied the application. The board demanded that the club change its name and agreed to limitations on speech of the club members. The club and Anthony Colín and Heather Zetin, the club's founders, sued the district in federal court based on the Equal Access Act (Colín v. Orange Unified School District, No. SA CV 99-1461).
In February 2000, the judge for the case issued a preliminary injunction ordering the district to allow the club to meet while the lawsuit was pending. In September 2000, the board settled the lawsuit out of court by agreeing to adopt new rules governing student clubs. The Gay-Straight Alliance gained the same rights as any other campus club, was allowed to keep their name, and had no restrictions on their speech.[2][3]
In March 2000, school district punished the new club president, Heather Zetin, by having her falsely arrested and removed from the school.[4] She was later declared factually innocent in legal proceedings.
Faculty Arrested of Registrable Sex Offenses
From 2003 to 2009, several illegal sexual assaults were committed (or alleged to have been committed) involving some of the faculty and students at El Modena High School. Four faculty members, including a principal, have been arrested for offenses under California Penal Code Section 290, or offenses that require inclusion on the California "Megan's Law" Sex Offender Registry, as well as the federal Adam Walsh Act. Three of the cases have resulted in guilty pleas.
- Band director Jason Cawelti was arrested on Dec. 5, 2003, and pleaded guilty to various sexual conduct violations with a person younger than age 18 in June 2004.[5]
- Principal Brent Bailey was arrested in February 2007, and pleaded guilty for lewd sexual conduct in a public park in June 2007.[6]
- Another band director, Carlie Rose Attebury, was charged with sex with an underage male student on multiple occasions in February, 2008. Her case is pending in the Orange County Superior Court.[7]
- Janitor Luis Mejia was arrested on June 2, 2009, for a sexual assault on a mentally handicapped student. In March 2010 Mejia pleaded guilty to six felony counts of sexual assault and one misdemeanor count of child annoyance.[8]
El Modena sports
Wrestling
El Modena's Varsity wrestling team won the Century League championship in 2009. They have won the Century league four times out of the last seven years. They went on to take second at the CIF Central Division wrestling championships held at John Glenn High school. Results can be found here: http://tmi.150m.com/Results2008-2009/2009_CIF_Central_Final.pdf. In 2007 Vinny Pisani a junior won CIF, was a Masters Champion and went on to take 5th at State. In 2008 Vinny Pisani a senior won CIF and was CIF MVP, became a Masters champion once again and went on to win state in the 135 lb. weight class.
Baseball
El Modena's Varsity boys baseball team won the Century League (Division I) championship in 2007, ending a drought of nearly 16 years. After beating Servite 1-0 in 13 innings, they moved on to beat Edison 3-4 in the bottom of the 8th. They made it to the CIF quarterfinal round against Long Beach Wilson, but lost 2-0. Wilson went on to win the CIF championship.
El Modena's Varsity boys baseball team won the Century League (Division I) championship in 2008 capturing their second consecutive league championship by defeating rival Canyon High School on the last game of the 2008 season. El Modena entered the CIF play-offs as the Century league's number one seed. After defeating Aliso Nigel High School 6-1 they moved on to face Orange Lutheran High School in CIF round II.
Softball
El Modena Vanguards won the final five games of the regular season, including a 1-0 triumph over Canyon High School in the regular-season finale to capture their second consecutive Century League title in 2008. The Lady Vanguards beat top-ranked Kennedy in the 2008 CIF Semi-finals with a home run in the 8th inning and moved on to the championship game to defeat Glendora 12-4. This marked the first CIF Championship for El Modena's softball team.
Vanguard
A vanguard, used as the school's mascot, is a soldier in the foremost division or the front part of an army. Vanguards are the troops assembled in the front line when going into battle, which is why the school newspaper is titled the The Frontline".[10]
Yearbook program
El Modena boasts a national award-winning yearbook titled Escena, which means "scene" in Latin. The yearbook is annually sent to a national competition and has received a Gold Standard award for its book in the year 2007.
Notable alumni
 |
- Wyatt Knight (1973) - Actor
- Jimmy Hodson (1979)- Actor/TV Show Host/Announcer
- Milo Ventimiglia (1995) - Actor
- Mikey Day (1998) - Actor/Comedian
- Robby Gordon - Nascar, off-road, Indycar Driver
- Ronnie Creager - Pro Skateboarder
Freddie Freeman- MLB First Baseman for Atlanta Braves
References
- ^ El Modena High School - Orange, California - CA - school overview
- ^ http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/cases/record?record=121
- ^ http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/news/press.html?record=696
- ^ "‘I Didn’t Do It’:Teen’s suit says she wasn’t principal-biter" Daniel C. Tsang, OC Weekly, April 26, 2001
- ^ Denisse Salazar and Eugene W. Fields (2008-10-29). "Music teacher arrested after allegation of lewd acts with boy". The Orange County Register.
- ^ Courtney Bacalso (2007-05-31). "Ex-principal pleads guilty to lewd act". The Orange County Register.
- ^ Denisse Salazar and Eugene W. Fields (2008-10-29). "Music teacher arrested after allegation of lewd acts with boy". The Orange County Register.
- ^ "Janitor charged in special-ed molestation Tuesday". KTLA. 2009-06-03.
- ^ "OC janitor gets 6 years for student sex assault". The San Diego Union Tribune. 2010-03-12.
- ^ Web Page: El Modena Frontline Online