A music teacher and an assistant coach, both charged with underage-sex felonies, are scheduled to appear in court this month
LAX COURTHOUSE — Two separate cases involving Santa Monica High School instructors who face felony underage-sex charges are scheduled to be aired in court this month.
Samohi band director Carl Hammer faces two counts for an alleged relationship with a 15-year-old girl from a different school. Assistant coach Mike Hearn faces nine felony counts for his alleged relationships with three underage girls, two of them believed to be Samohi students.
Hammer, who was freed on $40,000 bond, pleaded not guilty in October and is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing Jan. 31. Hearn, who was freed on $42,000 bond, pleaded not guilty in July. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
A preliminary hearing allows attorneys on both sides to present their cases before a judge, who then decides if enough evidence exists to try the case before a jury. The hearings often are delayed in felony cases so lawyers can gather additional evidence. Both of the Samohi felony sex cases already had been delayed, and it was unclear if they would proceed on schedule.
While the cases proceed in court, Hammer has been placed on paid leave, and Hearn, a seasonal employee, was not rehired for the current school year. The district has not proposed or implemented any changes in the wake of the arrests, said John Deasy, superintendent of schools.
“We do a thorough (pre-hiring) check and background check, and I think it’s pretty clear we deal with it when any allegations are made,” he said. “If any of them prove to be true, we’ll then have to take whatever steps necessary regarding the person’s employment...
“We have a routine check-in with the police and the (District Attorney), and they tell us when they know something. They haven’t told us anything yet.”
Hammer worked in the local school district for nine years, most recently helping to lead the award-winning bands at Samohi. A respected musician who taught piano lessons and played trombone in the Santa Monica College orchestra, Hammer was arrested in August after a joint investigation by local police and the California Department of Children and Family Services.
Both Hammer and his wife, Jennifer, have declined to comment on the charges. Hammer and the alleged 15-year-old victim were neighbors, according to the girl’s parents, who aren’t being identified by the Daily Press in order to protect the privacy of the alleged victim.
Craig Peterson, an engineer who has lived in Santa Monica more than 20 years, said he got to know Hammer well when his daughter played the flute in the Samohi bands. He said the charges were a surprise to people who knew Hammer, a member of the Mormon Church who in the past had suggested Samohi’s flag-girl uniforms exposed too much and should be changed.
“This is absolutely the antithesis of what I would have expected,” said Peterson, whose daughter now studies at UCLA. “This is something that is very surprising to us.”
“This is absolutely the antithesis of what I would have expected.” — CRAIG PETERSON Former Samohi parent
Hearn, married with children in local schools, has been described as an outgoing basketball and football coach who worked well with children and adults. He faces six counts of unlawful sex with a 17-year-old girl, two more counts for allegedly having oral sex and performing a lewd act upon a 15-year-old girl, and another count for sharing pornographic materials with a third girl, also 15. Although the younger girls are believed to have attended Samohi, the 17-year-old girl did not, officials said.
Daniel Davis, Hearn’s private attorney, said this past July he needed to investigate the allegations further before he would make any substantive comment regarding them.
“I reviewed the initial police reports, and they genuinely give me pause and concern,” Davis said after Hearn pleaded not guilty. “Initially, we’re exploring legal procedures to either avoid further prosecution or to minimize further legal proceedings.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 3, 2005. Read the original PDF.