Madera charter director leaves job amid school battery investigation, email shows
.jpeg "Ezequiel Tafoya Alvarado Academy Executive Director Nicolas Retana,")
A Madera charter school parted ways with its executive director amid a criminal investigation into child battery allegations.
According to an email obtained by The Bee, Nicolas Retana is no longer the executive director of Ezequiel Tafoya Alvarado Academy, a charter school. Interim director Robin Henderson announced the change Wednesday in an email to staff.
School officials refused multiple requests for comment.
The message went on to explain due to legal requirements, the school could not disclose additional details on the matter.
News of Retana’s departure comes after a two-month investigation criminal investigation conducted by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. He has been on leave from the district since November.
Sheriff’s investigators said the allegations stem from an incident on Nov. 6 at the school on Ellis Street in Madera.
In a prior interview with The Bee, Lorena Gody, the mother of a 13-year old student, said Retana allegedly shook her child while lecturing a group about their school behavior.
Kayla Serratto, the Madera sheriff’s spokesperson, said investigators have sent the case to the Madera County District Attorney’s Office and recommended Retana be charged with battery on school grounds.
“We believe that all of the potential parents of victims have come forward, but if there are any more who were victims, we encourage them to contact our office,” Serratto said Friday.
Madera County prosecutors confirmed the case remains under review and provided no timetable for when a filing decision will be made.
Retana co-founded the charter school in 2005. Before his work at Ezequiel Tafoya Alvarado, Retana worked as the superintendent of the Escondido Union School District, where he filed a defamation lawsuit after being terminated in 2000.
This story has been corrected to report deputies have recommended Retana be charged with battery on school grounds.
This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 6:13 PM.