BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A top administrator with the Tehachapi Unified School District has been arrested after investigators said she failed to report allegations of underage sexual abuse involving a district teacher.
Tehachapi police arrested 53-year-old Dr. Roxane Romero on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The arrest marks the second in the case following the arrest of physical education teacher Timothy Seaman late last year.
Officials said Romero, former Chief Administrator of Personnel, “failed to fulfill the mandatory reporting requirements as required by being a mandated reporter.” Romero previously served as the district’s chief administrator of personnel when she allegedly received multiple complaints from staff members, students and parents about inappropriate behavior involving Seaman.
RELATED: Court documents detail allegations against Tehachapi P.E. teacher dating back to 2023
Investigators allege Romero did not report the complaints to law enforcement or Child Protective Services, violating the law. Detectives presented information from the investigation, and charges were subsequently filed against Romero.
Officials said the underage victims in the case will not be identified and no further information will be released.
The case dates back to Dec. 16, 2025, when Seaman was arrested following an investigation. Police said a parent contacted Tehachapi police to report an underage victim was inappropriately touched by the teacher on campus. Another student reported the same type of behavior from Seaman in November 2025.
Timothy Seaman. Photo: Tehachapi Police Department.
Seaman’s arrest also revealed proof of possession and distribution of child pornography that allegedly belonged to him, officials said.
According to court documents, there were six documented complaints against Seaman from September 2023 to November 2025. Investigators determined five elementary-aged girls were victims in the case, the documents state.
The allegations described in the report range from favoritism toward girls to kissing and touching a student’s genitals over clothing. In one case, a student claimed Seaman threatened her with suspension if she didn’t sit in his lap and take a picture.
Tehachapi Unified School District. KBAK/KBFX
The documents also state that parents and staff reported the inappropriate behavior, and records show Seaman was repeatedly warned in multiple emails for violating district policies on staff interactions and behavior with students.
A “Doctor Romero,” named in the report, allegedly ruled the complaints “unsubstantiated,” but police said the district’s investigation into the allegations appeared to be incomplete.
Court documents also state it is possible Seaman’s behavior has been a pattern over years of working at different school districts in multiple states.
FILE: Tehachapi Police Department. KBAK/KBFX
Seaman is due in court in Mojave for a hearing on Sept. 2, 2026, records show.
He faces 18 counts relating to underage sexual abuse, including several counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, sex offense with a person under 14, circumstances in aggravation in taking advantage of position of trust/confidence, obscene matter depicting a minor engaged in sexual conduct, and numerous related misdemeanors. Seaman pleaded not guilty in April.
According to court records, Romero faces two misdemeanor charges of failure of a mandated reporter to report child abuse or neglect – one from 2025 and another from 2023. Charges were filed on July 29, 2026.
A court hearing is pending for Romero.