Michelle Ghirelli
NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org
Teachers Arrested Following Allegation of Sexual Relationship with Students
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. – (January 18, 2014) – On Saturday, January 17, 2015, Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Unit investigators arrested South Hills High School teacher, Melody Lippert, 38, Covina and district teacher Michelle Ghirelli, 30, Covina; following allegations they engaged in sexual relations with students who attend the school. On the evening of Friday, January 16, 2015, the West Covina Police Department contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department after obtaining information about the inappropriate relationships and the alleged sexual relations that occurred in our jurisdiction.
In November 2014, Lippert is alleged to have met a group of male South Hills High School students at San Clemente State Beach. During the meeting at San Clemente State Beach, Lippert provided alcohol to the students and engaged in a sexual relationship with one of them. Several weeks later, Lippert orchestrated an overnight camping trip to the same location with Ghirelli and several of the same high school students. During the camping trip Lippert and Ghirelli are suspected of engaging in sexual relations with two students. The camping trip was not a school or district sponsored event. Continue reading