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Report discusses abuse allegations at Cate School Investigation covers seven former faculty members By FORREST MCFARLAND NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Seven former Cate School faculty members were banned from campus due to sexual misconduct and abuse allegations revealed in
CATE SCHOOL REPORT COURTESY PHOTO
Cate School released a report Wednesday concerning allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse.
The full report concerning sexual misconduct and abuse allegations at Cate School can be viewed at.cate. org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/CCAInvestigation-2021-OIG-Report.pdf.
an investigative report released by the school on Wednesday. The investigation conducted by the Oppenheimer Investigations Group LLP detailed allegations against seven respondents including former boys’ soccer coach Dave Mochel. The six other former faculty members include Scott McLeod, Kirk Phelps, Robert Kusel, Martin Lowenstein, Da’Jon James and Andy Campbell. There were additionally 10 unnamed respondents with various sexual misconduct allegations going back decades. In a 2012 investigation ordered by the private Carpinteria school, allegations of an inappropriate relationship against Mr. Mochel
Winter Wonderland Santa Barbara Police Activities League helps families build happy memories
were sustained and resulted in the former coach’s resignation. However, Mr. Mochel was still allowed to reside on campus with his wife, who was still employed by the school. The Cate School retained the investigations group to conduct another impartial investigation on Oct. 13, 2020, after hearing complaints of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment by Cate students and alumni. The report was published by the Cate School on its website alongside the message, “We made a promise to conduct a thorough thirdparty investigation, motivated by our drive to learn as much as we could about the school’s past.” Please see CATE on A6
Health experts anticipate omicron in SB County
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Intensive care unit beds are 85.5% full countywide before holiday breaks.
San Luis Obispo County notified of first confirmed case By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
One of Santa’s elves presents a gift to a child during the 21st annual Winter Wonderland, hosted by the Santa Barbara Police Activities League Wednesday at the Carousel House.
A boy attempts to haul away his oversized present during the Winter Wonderland.
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Children got to meet Santa Claus on Wednesday when the Santa Barbara Police Activities League hosted its Winter Wonderland for low-income families. This year’s Santa Barbara event was conducted in a walkabout style for the safety of all attendees, families and their children, who walked through the Carousel House on Cabrillo Boulevard. That’s where they got their photos taken with Santa and received a gift and hot chocolate from local police officers. Children also got to take home a gingerbread house during the 21st annual event. For many children, this may be the only gift they receive this year, or this may be the first Christmas that they have received a gift, according to the Santa Barbara Police Activities League. It may also be a child’s first opportunity to meet and take a photo with Santa. Another first for many children is the interaction with law enforcement, especially on a positive note, the league noted. Please see WONDERLAND on A5
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Santa Barbara County is ensnared in a delta-variant wave and reportedly bound for another attack as the omicron variant spreads across the country. Public health experts told the News-Press on Friday they believe the omicron variant is already in the county. The same day, neighboring San Luis Obispo County received notification of its first confirmed omicron case. “This is a very high-risk period of the pandemic for all of us,” Dr. David Fisk, an infectious disease specialist with Cottage Health and Sansum Clinic, said. “Short-term, the most important thing we can do is try not to meet omicron with COVID fatigue right now.” The county’s daily case rate Nov. 26, the day after Thanksgiving, was 9.5 cases per 100,000 people. On Dec. 3, the rate had steadily climbed to 15.8 cases per 100,000 people. Dr. Fisk attributes the rise to Thanksgiving celebrations and a seasonal surge. “Ever since Thanksgiving,
there’s been more people coming in our doors symptomatic,” Dr. Marjorie Newman, the Sansum Clinic medical director, said. “Definitely, case rates are increasing. And we’re all concerned about people gathering again.” Health officials in 40 states and Puerto Rico have detected the omicron variant, as of Thursday afternoon. The number is rapidly growing, much like New York City’s testpositivity rate, which doubled in three days. Dr. Hennings Ansorg, the Santa Barbara County public health officer, is preparing for omicron to become the dominant variant after watching the variant overtake South Africa’s cases. But he said there’s much that experts don’t know yet. “We do not know with any degree of certainty if omicron is more or less aggressive than delta,” Dr. Fisk said. “But it’s clear that there’s going to be a lot of cases, and when there’s a lot of cases, some of them are not going to go well.” After preliminary data showed mild reactions in omicron cases — primarily in young, vaccinated individuals — some hoped the latest mutation would be akin to a cold. But experts throughout the country are warning against premature conclusions. The omicron variant has 50 Please see COVID on A2
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Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 5-8-9-19-39 Mega: 9
Friday’s DAILY 4: 3-6-3-4
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 21-32-38-48-62 Mega: 10
Friday’s FANTASY 5: 6-9-12-25-36
Friday’s DAILY DERBY: 12-05-09 Time: 1:46.57
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 19-20-40-42-59 Meganumber: 15
Friday’s DAILY 3: 2-1-5 / Midday 5-0-2