El Monte High School Teacher Retires After Lewd Comments Surface

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

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EL MONTE - A teacher at Mountain View High School called it a career roughly one month after remarks he made while accidentally leaving his Zoom meeting live were recorded and publicly shared in May.

James Richard Busuttil was having a phone conversation with someone whom is believed to be another teacher and made remarks about two past female students and their breasts, lustfully referring those students as freaks. A frustrated parent reached out to SGV CityWatch in May and provided clips of the Zoom video.

The concerned parent sent the video to her daughter’s counselor, a school resource officer, and special education teacher, she told SGV CityWatch.

“My daughter’s friends are disgusted; one of them remembers sitting in the front row of the class. Now she knows why, so sick,” the concerned parent told SGV CityWatch.

During this three-month investigation by SGV CityWatch, it was discovered in a June 16 El Monte Union High School District meeting that Busuttil retired.

After failed attempts at reaching district officials for a comment on Busuttil’s remarks and any possible investigation, this reporter tracked down the public relations firm representing the El Monte Union High School District directly to facilitate a comment:

“El Monte Union High School District is aware of the issue in question and has addressed this personnel matter. The District can confirm the employee has retired and no longer works for the District,” according to Kendra Pintor, senior associate with VMA Communications.

During a June 16 school board meeting, administrators honored retirees from the previous year. Mountain View High School Principal Jose Marquez went so far as to honor Busuttil and speak kindly of his 33 years as an educator, almost seemingly unaware of the retired educator’s comments in the Zoom video.

The timing of Busuttil’s retirement is not mere coincidence, considering in one video supplied to SGV CityWatch, he claimed he would not be retiring while speaking about teacher contract negotiations.

Phone numbers linked to Busuttil as well as his Irwindale business, St. James Spirits, were located in an attempt to speak with the man himself. Busuttil could not be reached for comment.

A recent search of public records with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing shows that Busuttil’s single-subject teaching license remains valid roughly two months after his retirement.

It is unclear if the allegations of misconduct were reported yet to the CTC by the El Monte Union High School District. SGV CityWatch reached out to the CTC regarding an investigation.

Sasha Horwitz, governmental relations and public affairs manager with the CTC, said state law prohibits publicizing if a complaint is received, if an educator is under review, or if a review is completed and no action was taken.

Pursuant to the California Code of Regulation, districts are required to report allegations of misconduct. The superintendent of an employing school district is required to report a change in employment status due to allegations no later than 30 days after final employment action, or while an allegation of misconduct is pending.

Final employment actions include dismissals, resignations, or retirement.

Failure in reporting is considered “unprofessional conduct” and would result in the superintendent being investigated by the commission.

Busuttil’s videos made the rounds on social media soon after he was caught making those remarks. One of the girls he mentioned, Zoey, granted this reporter an interview.

“It is sad that there are people/teachers like that in this world… he should definitely get in trouble for what he said, and so should the other teacher on the phone call,” Zoey told SGV CityWatch.

Zoey, 19, last went to Mountain View High School roughly three years ago. She was briefly in one of Busuttil’s science classes before being moved to another class.

“I can’t imagine how many conversations there were about students behind closed doors,” Zoey told SGV CityWatch.

In the tail end of one of the two videos sent to SGV CityWatch, the person Busuttil was talking to referred to still having photos of past field trips; for what purpose may never be known.

“…if they have field trip pictures of any student the police should definitely take those and investigate the whole situation because it is nasty,” Zoey told SGV CityWatch, adding that Busuttil would have Zoey go on field trips even though she was not in his classes.

Ideally, Zoey seeks legal action against Busuttil, but she said that finding a lawyer is difficult right now.

An attempt was made to reach out to the other student who believes Busuttil spoke about, but she has not responded to grant an interview.

Busuttil has been an educator for 33 years, spending his entire career in the El Monte Union High School District. He received a Bachelor of Arts in business from Cal State University, Long Beach and a Masters in business administration from Azusa Pacific University.