FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A former Fresno Unified elementary school teacher accused of inappropriate conduct with multiple students appeared in court Thursday as prosecutors presented testimony from one of the alleged victims.<\/p>\n
Aaron Butler, who appeared out of custody in civilian clothing, is charged with nine counts of lewd and lascivious acts involving five girls. The incidents are alleged to have occurred between August 2014 and June 2017.<\/p>\n
During the preliminary hearing, a teenage girl described her experiences in Butler’s classroom when she was a student at Lane Elementary School in southeast Fresno. All of the alleged victims were under the age of 14 at the time.<\/p>\n
“When he was teaching… Did he touch you anywhere? While you were sitting on his lap?” Deputy District Attorney Brian Exline asked.<\/p>\n
“Yeah, it would be on the thigh. Like your upper thigh,” the victim responded.<\/p>\n
The girl testified that Butler would have her and other students sit on his lap during class. She said she was in second grade when the alleged inappropriate behavior began.<\/p>\n
“I felt uncomfortable. I didn’t really know how to react or what to do. I feel like since he did it when he’s teaching no one’s thinking nothing of it. I’m just there, I didn’t really know what to do or what to say,” she said.<\/p>\n
She also described an incident in which she said Butler picked her up and threw her, resulting in an injury.<\/p>\n
“It was on a school day, he had picked me up and, like, threw me. He was trying to throw me on top of somebody, and I fell wrong, and I remember I busted my chin open,” the victim said.<\/p>\n
Butler worked for Fresno Unified for more than 20 years. His employment ended after his arrest at Gibson Elementary School in December 2020.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors are expected to continue calling witnesses and presenting evidence before a judge determines whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial.<\/p>\n
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