SAN DIEGO — News 8 has learned that a former history teacher at Health Sciences High and Middle College was arrested last week on charges related to unlawful sex with a minor. The school confirmed a faculty member was no longer with the school following reports of an "inappropriate relationship" with a student.
Robert Ian Famania was arrested Wednesday, May 15 by San Diego police according to information on the San Diego Sheriff's Department "Who Is In Jail" website. A relative of a student at the Normal Heights area charter school reached out to News 8 with news of the arrest and provided Famania's name. He is no longer listed on the school's staff list but previously was listed as a 9th and 10th grade history teacher.
According to arrest information online, Famania has been charged with four counts including one count of unlawful sex with a minor under the age of 16 by a person over the age of 21, two counts of committing lewd or lascivious acts by use of force on a child under the age of 14 and sodomy committed on a person under the age of 18, according to arrest information online.
The 37-year-old is being held at George Bailey Detention Center on $75,000 bail. He is slated to appear in court on June 7 which happens to be his 38th birthday.
San Diego police confirmed that the case is being handled by their child abuse unit. News 8 reached out to them for additional information but had not heard back as of Thursday night.
When asked for a statement on Famania's arrest, the school released the following statement related to an "inappropriate relationship" between a faculty member and student and confirmed that the individual is no longer employed by the school, but did not mention Famania by name.
"At HSHMC, we are an academic community that’s always believed in treating every student with dignity and respect, and creating an atmosphere of open and honest communication where students and parents feel free and comfortable sharing information with us. It’s this open communication that helps us ensure the safety and comfort of the entire HSHMC community.
Because of this open communication policy, we were notified of the possibility of an inappropriate relationship between a faculty member and a student. We took immediate action and contacted both the family involved and the authorities to investigate. We cooperated with the police for the duration of the investigation. Although we cannot disclose personnel actions we can confirm the individual is no longer an employee at HSHMC. We also filed a report with the Commission of Teacher Credentialing. Issues of this nature are of the utmost importance to our administration. We pride ourselves in creating a safe, healthy environment for our students, and will continue to enact whatever measures are necessary to put their wellbeing first. We have offered counseling to those directly impacted by this alleged offense and will make it available to other students upon request.
To protect the integrity of the investigation and our students’ privacy, this is all the information that can be given at this time."
