Let me get this straight. The same man that [doesn't follow] the law regarding math placement, [misleads] stakeholders about why math classes are no longer offered, presides over harassment of staff who don’t see things his way, and is struggling to keep families interested in his declining schools, is somehow going to supersede the Santa Clara County District Attorney and the Palo Alto Police Department in the dropped Colombo case? Sure, there will be no bias in Mr. Austin’s inquiry because he is so trustworthy.

I’m sorry, what is the point here? The case is over. Charges dropped. [Portion removed.] If Colombo is to be further investigated, what is it Mr. Austin hopes to find? What if he finds that District leadership is culpable for failing to better supervise and evaluate teachers? It is a fact that evaluations have not been done in accordance with Ed. Code on several campuses. In addition, if a few offensive comments are grounds for “further investigation”, Mr. Austin may as well sign up the whole District staff, himself included, for further investigation.

Yes, Mr. Colombo has made some mistakes in his life, yet he has paid for them in full. If the District does not want him back, then buy him out. Full back pay, full future pay with benefits, full coaching pay, full retirement, and one big fat apology. As far as what Mr. Colombo deserves for his pain, suffering, and ruined reputation, well only Mr. Colombo and his lawyers can speak to that, but one would think it to be significant. [Portion removed.]

See... Everyone tried to hang Colombo before all the truths came out !! This poor guy went through hell for the past 2 years having his name dragged through the mud. [Portion removed.] It was really never a case at all, but Colombo had to go through this false accusation for 2 years. [Portion removed.] The only thing now is Colombo is a free man and everyone else who jumped to a convictions has major egg on their faces. I guess the systems does work and I hope Colombo gets all that's is coming to him, Poor Guy. He is a great coach and teacher and stood like a man when everyone was gunning for him. I have more respect for Colombo now than I ever did.. Pete. You are a example of standing your ground when you knew you did not do anything wrong and people were already had you in jail. [Portion removed.]

Twenty years later? Yes, lack of evidence if no rape kit. Let this be a learning experience for parents and teens to report sooner.

There’s another male teacher at Paly who everyone knows is a pedo. Guess the district will continue to allow him to teach until someone reports him.

Hah agree with Retired Teacher. So apt!

So it seems his life has been ruined and his reputation tarnished. Is this a fair outcome for someone who is innocent? Not all cries of wolf are real.

Who said he was "innocent?" The charges were dropped. There's a difference. I give her the benefit of the doubt she's telling the truth. What does she have to gain by coming forward all these years later?

Unless there's a custody dispute with an ex or she's mentally ill, women don't make this up out of the blue. That doesn't make any sense.

He has a criminal history, and I hope he's not reinstated.

Now that this situation has finally been resolved and a very good, innocent man has lost a year and a half of his life, of all the things very wrong about all of this: one of the biggest is the reporting. There was a very good, meticulous effort to find some people that had some complaints about Mr. Colombo. But with just the slightest bit of effort and compassion, the reporters would have found that for every one complaint there are another 100 people that would have nothing but amazing praise for him as an incredibly passionate and caring teacher/coach who has changed their lives in the most positive way. It's such a shame that the reporters made no effort to portray a full representation about who Mr. Colombo truly is.
It's definitely not too late to do a follow up article to give his many supporters the opportunity to voice their incredibly positive experiences with him and help restore his reputation.

The prosecutor in charge of this case - the one person who along with police has thoroughly investigated the case for over a year and, unlike Palo Alto Online or anyone else who has commented on this case, actually has all the available facts - has made a decision not to further prosecute Pete Colombo. I wonder how long we will have to wait for the jury of commenters for whom facts didn’t matter to apologize and account for convicting an innocent man in their own kangaroo court of public opinion? Of all people, a lawyer / law professor should know better. Wow.

Sexual assault is an awful thing. Being an advocate for victims is a noble and important cause. My heart goes out to the woman in this case. But those who would publicly ridicule and convict an accused person while knowing neither the person nor the facts should be beyond ashamed of themselves. You haven’t helped victims of sexual assault - including the accuser here - but you’ve piled on to ruining the life of a man who, while certainly an imperfect human being - aren’t we all - has positively touched the lives of literally thousands of children in the Palo Alto school district for 30 years. Pete is colorful, and apparently to some controversial, but he is not a sexual predator. For every kid or parent who ever complained about Colombo I would bet there are ten who love the guy.

Palo Alto Online, perhaps it’s time for you to report in a more responsible and fact-based manner. Your click bait headlines covering this case have not at all matched the facts. Try actually talking to those who’ve taught with Pete and to those who’ve been taught and coached by Pete. See what they have to say. Given what you’ve contributed to ruining his reputation it’s the least you could do.

PAUSD, do you not think a completely ruined reputation is enough for a teacher who dedicated his life to teaching our kids? Do the right thing and let him get on with what’s left of his life with at least a semblance of dignity.

I have nothing to comment on this specific case, other than to note the Weekly's continued kid gloves coverage of all things Dr. Austin. This paper allows him an incredible amount of space to manifest his favorable PR image.

Granted the bar was low when the prior Supt oversaw the financial miscalculation, but how many issues does Austin have to create for PAUSD before he is held accountable in this paper? Retired teacher lists a few.

Reminds me of Richard Jewell, the security guard who found a bomb and saved lives at a concert but was wrongly accused of placing the bomb. His life was ruined by the media until the real bomber confessed 6 years later. He was an honest person but the stress (and his obesity) killed him at age 44. This case should not have been publicized.

The DA dropping the case doesn't prove the man's innocence. It simply means there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute. Don't kid yourselves into thinking he's not a sexual predator. Trust him around my kids? Not a chance. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck...

Nobody said he was wrongfully accused like Richard Jewell. The charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence. It happens all the time. It doesn't mean he is innocent. You're only innocent if you didn't do it.

There isn't a logical reason that she'd make this up. Not one.

This is about Peter Colombo, not Don Austin or Palo Alto Online.

"Colombo was the subject of multiple complaints against him..." Were those complaints made up?

OCR stopped monitoring the complaint against OCR after PAUSD was mandated to create a place where complaints could be aired, and take action. My suspicion that OCR is a shill seems to be proven by PAUSDs failure to implement as instructed by the federal agency acting under the DOJ.

Lets have a show of hands from anyone who knows about the mandate, and the contact information PAUSD was supposed to name, as ordered by the US Government.

Did anyone besides me read the original instructions from OCR to PAUSD in 2017?

So when is [the Weekly] going to apologize for [the] hit piece?

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I was present at the pre-trial, and it was clear the case was shabby at best. Remember "innocent until proven guilty"? In this case there was no proof. Nothing even close. One hopes that you or anyone close to you is not subjected to something similar because Mr. Colombo has been put through the wringer for something he did not do. [Portion removed.]

Isn't the DA at fault for filing charges too soon? Why did they charge him if they lacked evidence? What a disgrace.

@It.is.what.it.is: So why don't you report this person?

Echoing the same question as above for it is.what.it.is.

But yes, he is innocent. You are innocent until proven guilty. That's one of the backbones on western society. I'm not saying that the woman made it up--I don't know that--but he IS innocent of sexual assault as things currently stand.

Now, with the complaints about him, he may not return to teaching. I doubt PAUSD would want him to return to teaching, and I don't know if he would want to return after all of this either (parents who won't allow their kids to be in his class, gossip, etc.). My guess is that PAUSD pays a hefty settlement fee in exchange for his early retirement.

I understand there is not enough evidence to try this man, that said, he has many years of suspicious behavior and complaints that suggest he should not be let back into PAUSD. Before my child started at Greene they had heard all about this man and feared they'd be in his class... My child heard stories from classmate's older siblings at least 2 years before starting at Greene... so it wasn't just one thing... but a history of suspicious behavior and a reputation that proceeded him. The years my kid overlapped with this teacher at the school, we repeatedly heard horrible stories about this man's behavior toward kids. [Portion removed.] Students complained and the administration appeared to turn a blind eye. Worse, many teachers invalidated the students' discomfort by hailing this teacher as being so wonderful (like the comments in this thread). This infuriated my kid.... they couldn't understand why the other teachers couldn't see it? And this was for many months before this story came out. My kid would tell us new incidents about this over dinner...many, many times... and complain about how the administration just seemed to ignore it. The kids were really frustrated. Because my kid didn't have him, he was spared, but they had many friends who couldn't stand this teacher and felt grossed out by him. My neighbor and other parents have known about this, too. Obviously something is not right and warrants further critical investigation instead of quick rush to defend. He may/may not have done this particular crime, but should be reviewed for his general behavior and ability to reenter the district as someone who "teaches" our kids. There needs to be some accountability. If someone had done the things I heard about from my kid at my place of employment, he would have long been fired.

If there had been the profusion of complaints, uncomfortable students, and bad behavior that anon50 references, then something would have been done. The fact is that most students enjoyed Mr. Colombo's class and he usually gave them much needed comic relief. Yes, he could be irreverent at times, and yes, he was quirky, but he was not mean, intimidating, or sexually inappropriate. He was a coach first and foremost, and his style was bound to rub a few the wrong way. That does not make him a criminal or "unfit to teach".

The idea being floated around that teachers making mistakes or garnering a few complaints automatically makes them unfit or criminal is dangerous. Unfortunately, Don Austin has fed that mentality with his comments regarding Colombo. Funny, he had good things to say about him until he was charged. If Mr. Colombo was such a problem prior to the dropped charges, why was he not so informed by administration? Yes there was a recent complaint, but in the grand scheme of things it was minor, and by all accounts he addressed it appropriately.

In my 30 year career I taught nearly 4000 students and there is no doubt that I was not a good fit for all of them. I may have said or did some things that made some uncomfortable, and I also dealt with parent complaints. That did not make me unfit, or criminal.

Life is such that everyone has to deal with folks that make them uneasy. If your child feels uncomfortable with a teacher, then contact that teacher and set up a meeting and see for yourself if there is a problem. Or, if that is too difficult, contact an administrator who can facilitate such a meeting. There are protocols that should be followed. If they aren't, then do something about it. It's worth the effort. But remember, just because your child is uneasy with a teacher, that does not mean every child feels that way. Nor does it mean that the teacher is unfit.

The fact that no one in this thread seems cognizant of the pervasive cover-up campaign that was the basis of a complaint against PAUSD with the Office of Civil Rights leads me to think PAUSD did not effectively carry out the mandate ordered by the OCR. If they had, people could complain through PAUSD and they would have to investigate. It appears that the complainant in this case was unaware of the mandate. OCR should be investigating this. But they won't take their cue reading these comments. Someone who has been personally affected by PAUSDs failure to take corrective action needs to complain to the OCR through their online portal, or in writing.

Granted, I suspect OCR is corrupt as the day is long, like most government agencies. But they DID carry out an investigation and they DID order PAUSD to implement a way for complaints to be fully investigated.

@Retired PAUSD Teacher nailed it. And while we still haven’t seen any apologies from the kangaroo jury on this thread, a couple who clearly have never met the man and don’t know the facts but have heard some hearsay are doubling down down on their campaign of innuendo and criminal conviction based on a newspaper article.

@Jennifer because it was reported that “Colombo was the subject of multiple complaints against him” does not constitute proof that he raped an 11-year old, for goodness sake. Think about what you are saying. This is a real person’s life. A good person’s life. Contrary to the hearsay and innuendo, those complaints were actually very few and had nothing whatsoever to do with anything remotely close to inappropriate sexual behavior. And since this case has been made public not a single person has come forward with any such complaint. Does that not at least make you wonder?

Is your record on making people comfortable spotless? Has every person you’ve ever interacted with in your workplace agreed with you, been comfortable with you?

@Retired PAUSD Teacher described Pete Colombo well - sometimes irreverent, often quirky, wears his heart on his sleeve, but loved by the vast majority of teachers and students who interacted with him through the years. That was very much my experience. Please think before you hurl out more hurtful and defamatory conjecture.

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Res Ipsa, name me one logical reason that the victim would make this up after all these years. She has nothing to gain. This has nothing to do with making people feel "uncomfortable." This was sexual assault, and yes, I think he did it. Just because no one else came forward doesn't mean he didn't sexually assault an 11- year- old. Who ever said there has to be more than one victim? Or there could be other victims that never came forward.

Dropping the charges and "innocent" are two different things. You're only innocent if you didn't do it.

Our three kids interacted with him and have a negative opinion of him, especially our daughter.

@Jennifer

I was in the court room when the accuser testified. It is clear that something terrible happened to her. In fact it happened to her more than once. She is in great pain still and my heart goes out to her. However, her story about what happened at Greene did not make sense and her memory of what occurred was blurred to the point that no jury could find Mr. Colombo responsible. He made a good target for her rage against the system, but he was not her assailant.

She also stated that she will be suing PAUSD. There is your gain. In essence, she had to go through Colombo to get to the District where she will have a decent chance in civil court given the track record PAUSD has with these issues. I wish her the best in that endeavor because corrupt 25 Churchill needs yet another wake up call.

Retired PAUSD teacher, if you were there and it's clear that something happened to her, how do you know it wasn't Colombo? Were you there in the locker room when she was 11? The fact that she's stated she'll be suing PAUSD adds more credibility to her story. If she was making it up about Colombo, it makes sense to move on after the charges were dropped.

Of course her memory will be blurred. She was 11 years old, and it was 20 years ago. My memories at the age of 11 are blurred too.

Did you know Colombo? Were you friends? If so, your opinion is skewed in favor of his defense. You really think she was sexually assaulted by someone else, and she's targeting Colombo out of the blue? How odd. Maybe, just maybe she's targeting Colombo because he did it.

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What happened?? Or didn’t?? Motivation to allege such a crime belatedly is what.
People must be empowered to speak up promptly if victimized.
OTOH, if this is a hit job, there ought to be clarification and repercussions. Wow.

You ask very good questions. And yes, I knew Colombo. Did you know him? Were you present when the facts were displayed by council on both sides? The accuser could not even state if it was really Colombo. So, what do you base your facts upon? If you made the effort to be present when the facts were on the table, then state so much. If not, then you can continue to speculate. I sympathize with the accuser, yet that does not mean you can just take down the one target you think is guilty. Weigh the facts, then decide how to proceed. It's called justice

She certainly does have something to gain, her monetary compensation, after she sues the district.
[Portion removed.]

If she was sexually assaulted, she deserves compensation. What I meant by what does she have to gain? You can't just make up a sexual assault and sue PAUSD because you want/need the money. If that was the case as a former PAUSD student/parent, I could sue too. It stands to reason that if she's coming forward all these years later, she's telling the truth. If she does sue, and she sues successfully, PAUSD believes her.

I don't know Colombo, and I had no reason to be there. I care because I have family (including grandchildren) who attend PAUSD.

It's probably human nature to defend someone you know and like. It's also referred to as denial.

Ignoring facts and evidence is also referred to as denial.

@Jennifer - res ipsa loquitur. Some people will just never get it.

You don't have to be convicted of something to have done it. I think he did, and so do a lot of other people. There is no such thing as evidence that he didn't do it. There is only evidence that he did, and it was over 20 years ago. Sadly, they dropped the charges.

Even if I knew and liked someone that was accused of raping a child, I wouldn't defend him. I'm not that foolish. With the exception of an ugly custody dispute, give the child the benefit of the doubt. They're telling the truth. Child rapists disgust me, and so do enablers.

Come on People, This was a which hunt from the get go.. I read all the comments and all it says to me that many of the people are still living in a different times. [Portion removed.] Some people just like to jump on the band wagon and kick people when they are down. I love it when the people stand up for this guy because they are thinking with a clear mind who made this country great. [Portion removed.] My hat is off to Mr. Colombo who stood his ground and did not take any plea if they did want to offer one.. Move on people and to the parents who Colombo taught just say Thank You

Posts like the one above show that the court of public opinion is much stronger than any judicial court. How does anyone prove or have evidence that they didn't do something?

In this country we are presumed innocent until proven guilty. There is a lot of weight in that phrase. In the wild west bank robbers, horse theives and cattle rustlers were caught and lynched outside town, their cries of innocence ignored.

When someone is accused of something nowadays, it seems that the same attitudes exist. Someone's character can be ruined for ever along with the likelihood of future employment and a happy life.

We have to give people the benefit of the doubt when charges are dropped. It is the only civilized way to look at the justice system. After all, the next innocent person accused of crime just might be you.

Our daughter is the same age as the victim, and she told me that students (and what I heard later, parents) were aware of this after it happened. People talk. If others want to give him the benefit of the doubt, fine. I give her the benefit of the doubt.

Under that same analogy that someone is "innocent" if the charges are dropped or they're found "not guilty" in a court of law - please. If that's the case OJ is innocent, and I don't believe that either.