BRENTWOOD—Former Brentwood School teacher Dr. Aimee Palmitessa, 47 was sentenced to three years in prison after she pleaded no contest on three counts of unlawful sex with student on Thursday, April 18 The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Palmitessa worked at the elite private school for 9 years as an Upper School (9th thru 12th grade) teacher, where the victim whose name has not been released to the public, was a student in one of her classes. She earned Doctorate’s degree in biochemistry and microbiology and taught at Penn State.
The case has been under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department since 2017.
LAPD Deputy D.A. Adrian Roxas of the Sex Crimes Division prosecuted the case. According to the criminal complaint, between June 12, 2017 and August 11, 2017, Palmitessa is accused of sexually assaulting the teenage boy. The victim alerted police about the alleged incidents. She was arrested by authorities on August 18, 2017 and charged with seven counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts each of sodomy and sexual penetration by foreign object of a person under the age of 18 and one count of oral copulation of a person under 18.
In 2018 the student filed a lawsuit, alleging that the school was negligent in allowing the teacher to abuse him. The lawsuit also stated that Palmitessa had a “reputation for inappropriate conduct with students.”
“We immediately placed Dr. Palmitessa on leave, we were shocked and distressed to receive the news of these allegations. As always, our primary concern is the safety, health and well- being of our students,” said Brentwood School President Dr. Mike Riera in a statement on August 20, 2017.
“To that end we will do everything we can to cooperate with the official police investigation,” Riera added.
Palmitessa’s teaching certification has been revoked and she will be listed on California’s sex offender registry.
