Shorecliffs Teacher Arrested on Suspicion of Sex with Student

EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated at 9:33 p.m. with a message parents received from the school district. Updated at 8:54 p.m. with employment information. 

A  teacher who had previously been arrested on suspicion of inappropriate conduct with two female students at the San Clemente school was arrested again Thursday for allegedly having sex with a third student.

He is currently in custody and being held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to Orange County Sheriff's officials.

On Nov. 30, 2011, sheriff's deputies initially made contact with math teacher Richard Rack during the school day and drove him away school in front of students.

An Orange County Sheriff's spokesman at the time would only say he was being questioned and would not reveal the subject matter.

Today, deputies arrested Rack, 50, of San Clemente, at his home after authorities served a search warrant, said Jim Amormino of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Amormino said investigators needed time to question potential victims.

Rack was suspended from his teaching duties in December, Amormino said, and had been free on $20,000 bail stemming from his arrest earlier this month on suspicion of sexual activity with two other female students.

He pleaded not guilty on June 8 to two misdemeanor counts of child annoyance. He was re-arrested Thursday on suspicion of lewd acts with a child under 14, child molestation and oral copulation with a minor, officials said.

It was during a search in connection with the first arrest that investigators were led to a third alleged victim, Amormino said.

The most recent alleged victim is no longer a student at the school, according to the Sheriff's Department. Rack allegedly carried on a relationship with the girl for as long as two years.

After being driven away in the back of a squad car, Shorecliff students took to Facebook to talk about the incident.

"[W]ell all in all its been a nice day. [W]on a volleyball game in PE, got a good grade on my English test ... and oh yeah, my math teacher got arrested!" wrote one student.

Others noted he wasn't yet arrested.

"[W]hether he will be charged guilty or not is another matter, we can't say anything for sure until a reliable source comes up," wrote another.

Amormino said the department refers to the victims as Jane Doe Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

Jane Doe No. 1 is a current student at the middle school. She reported to authorities that he told her "she had a nice figure, he gave her hugs, kissed her, caught him peeking down her blouse. He asked her to wear lower-cut blouses," Amormino said.

This kind of communciation went on for a "little while," he added.

Rack allegedly convinced Jane Doe No. 2 to send nude photos of herself, and she complied, Amormino said.

The alleged sex with Jane Doe No. 3 occurred both at the school and the girl's house. 

Thursday night, the , sent the following message to parents:

Dear Shorecliffs Middle School parents,

Officials from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department asked that you be informed that Shorecliffs Middle School teacher Richard Rack has been arrested on allegations of misconduct.

Mr. Rack was placed on leave in December because of allegations that later led to his arrest on misdemeanor charges. The Sheriff’s Department is now alleging more serious misconduct, so the District is informing you of this matter now.  There has also been media coverage of this case.

If you are aware of any information that may assist law enforcement in this matter, please contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at 1-877-847-6227.

If you have other questions concerning this situation, please email them to communications@capousd.org and a District official will respond.

Thank you,

Marcus Walton

Chief Communications Officer

According to school district records, Rack was first hired by CUSD in September 2002. He received his single-subject credential in 1994, but it is not clear where, if anywhere, he worked before.

— City News Service contributed to this report.