Teacher accused of sex acts with students is arrested in class, CA officials say
A high school teacher is accused of performing sex acts with two of his students, California prosecutors say.
Now, Kyiri Tisdale, 32, a former teacher with Escondido High School, has been sentenced to six years in prison, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said in a June 24 news release.
“This defendant used his position of trust as a teacher to commit sex crimes against teenage students whom he’s supposed to nurture and protect,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said in the release.
Escondido Union High School District did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on June 25.
In a statement to KFMB after Tisdale’s arrest in August, Superintendent Jon Petersen called the incident “disturbing.”
“The Escondido Union High School District is committed to upholding the highest standards of conduct and will take all necessary steps to address any issues that arise from this situation,” Petersen said, the outlet reported. “We want to assure our community that the safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority.”
Days before the start of the 2024-2025 school year, Escondido police started investigating an incident involving Tisdale and a 17-year-old student, prosecutors said.
They gathered enough evidence to arrest Tisdale in his classroom as he was “prepping for classes to start and to meet a new group of students,” according to prosecutors.
Following his arrest, prosecutors said they and police detectives found and spoke with a 16-year-old student, which led to additional charges against Tisdale.
When Tisdale was 29 years old, he started performing sex acts with the 17-year-old student, according to prosecutors. At some point, he also began engaging in sex acts with the 16-year-old student, officials said.
Tisdale’s sentence comes after he pleaded guilty to seven felonies “related to various sex crimes,” prosecutors said.
“I hope today’s sentence serves as a warning to anyone in a position of power that the truth eventually comes out, and you will be held accountable,” Stephan said. “I am proud of the victims for coming forward and I hope the end of this case provides the closure they need to move on and live healthy lives.”
Escondido is about a 40-mile drive north from San Diego.
This story was originally published June 25, 2025 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Teacher accused of sex acts with students is arrested in class, CA officials say."
