Ex-Brophy teacher pleads guilty to sex abuse

by: Miguel Otarola

azcentral

A former teacher at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of sexual abuse stemming from allegations made in the past few years about sexual contact that took place in the 1980s.

The allegations, which include suspicion of sexual assault, sexual abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, were filed after some of Dan Whitehead’s students from the 1980s came forward saying they were assaulted by him.

Whitehead was fired from Brophy after the allegations were made public in 2011, but police were unable to formally file charges against the 72-year-old former teacher until last fall.

Whitehead pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse and pleaded no contest to another count of sexual abuse and one count of furnishing harmful items to minors. Whitehead is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 27.

Maricopa County Superior Court documents detailed three incidents where Whitehead brought students to his home and served them alcohol. The report showed Whitehead then asked the students to stay the night at his house, where he committed the crimes while the students slept in his spare bedroom.

Two of the students, now adults, came forward to Phoenix police in November 2011 and said Whitehead performed inappropriate sexual actions on them, according to the Phoenix Police Department. Whitehead was fired from his instructor position at Brophy after these original allegations were made public.

Police said the former students did not wish to cooperate in 2011.

“Eventually several former students came forward to speak with detectives,” according to court documents.

Whitehead was formally indicted in September 2012.

Whitehead joined Brophy in 1967. He taught mathematics at the school, was a coach for the golf team and moderator of the Calc Club.

This article was written by Miguel Otarola and originally published onazcentral