Third-grade teacher in South Gate may have died from meningitis

"I was sad." nine-year-old Rosario Arvallo is dealing with the sudden death of her beloved third grade teacher at Montara Elementary School. On Monday Arvallo last saw her teacher the Friday before.

But sadness quickly turned to anger when parents learned a full four days later that the teacher may have died from potentially deadly Meningococcal Meningitis.

"I knew there was something more to it... I kept telling my wife something's wrong..." said Rosario's dad Eloy Arvallo.

He says he and parents of students in direct contact with the teacher were called to the school late this afternoon for an emergency meeting with school officials and a doctor who explained what was happening.

Other parents like Anna Lopez say they were not notified by the school at all.

"I never received a phone call.. I never received a flyer... Only that she had passed away. Said Lopez who has a niece in the third grade class and two kids who attend Montara.

We contacted the school and the LAUSD for comment, but both referred us to The Department of Public Health who gave us this statement which says in part:

"Public health is working closely with the LAUSD and the affected school to ensure the appropriate school contacts and other close contacts of the patient are identified and receive preventive antibiotics, and that information about Meningococcal disease is available to the school community. "

Meanwhile, parents tell us the school handed out antibiotics to other teachers and kids who had direct contact with the infected teacher but not to them or siblings.

Tonight, these worried parents say... It's not enough.

"Parents are not being notified... So they're gonna take it lightly if their child has nausea... vomiting... stiff neck. " said parent Mireya Garcia.

"We will not send my children to school unless the whole school is sanitized. Said parent Anna Lopez.

Parents say they want the school to do more and that they may stage a protest on monday if the school isn't completely scrubbed down.

For more information about Meningococcal disease:

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