Ex-CA school board leader, others face charges over alleged party with strippers, choir students
CLAREMONT, Calif. - Three people including the former president of the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education were arrested and charged following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior and underage drinking at a school holiday party allegedly involving strippers and choir students in December.
According to the Claremont Police Department, it happened on Dec. 3, 2022 at the home of Steven Llanusa, 62, who was the president of the BOE during that time.
Llanusa, who resigned from the board on Dec. 10, reportedly hired the school choir singers to perform at the tree-trimmng party hosted at his home. Also allegedly present for entertainment were shirtless male strippers.
A photo that made the rounds on social media showed a group of shirtless men playfully flexing at a party. In the other photo – also on social media – a group of students appeared to sing carols in front of a holiday-themed setup.
According to parents who spoke at an emergency meeting following the controversy, the choir students were asked to perform at a Christmas party at Llanusa's home. The school board president is accused of offering money to the choir kids if they stayed late to help clean up after the party.
A parent who spoke during the meeting said her 16-year-old son stayed at Llanusa's home for four hours. The mom said her son didn't feel he could or should leave since a district school board member asked him to stay.
Blake White, 34, whom police identified as "Buddy the Elf," was arrested Dec. 28 in Temecula for lewd or lascivious acts with a minor. He was released on $25,000. bond.
Llanusa and Tandy Robinson, 61, were identified as additional suspects. Llanusa was charged with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of providing alcohol to a minor. Robinson was charged with one count of providing alcohol to a minor.
All three will appear in court on March 30 in Pomona.