The McFarland Unified School District says a McFarland High School Basketball coach has been arrested; releasing a statement in both English and Spanish to parents Monday.
The statement from the district addresses the arrest of Fernando Pruneda. The school district stated: "Student safety and well-being is a very high priority in our schools, and the District is concerned about the welfare of the victim."
Arrest records show, Sunday, October 14, 2018 Pruneda was arrested by the Kern County Sheriff's Department. According to the statement released by the McFarland Unified School District he was arrested for alleged sexual misconduct with a minor.
District officials say Pruneda was a graduate of McFarland High School. He started working there in 2013 as a part-time coach and athletic attendant in charge of fields and athletic equipment. In 2016, officials say he became a full-time boys basketball coach and athletic attendant along with a baseball assistant coach.
Due to his arrest on Sunday, school officials have place Pruneda on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into the allegations. Officials say this is standard procedure in this type of case.
"If you know something you should say something, if there is a student or anyone else that has any information that potentially could be related to this, we ask that they contact local law enforcement or here at the district office," said Aaron Resendez the Superintendent Designee with McFarland Unified School District.
The case is still under investigation, and no one is listed under inmate search by that name. We are still working on reaching KCSO, but have not been able to get a hold of anyone. 23 ABC reached out to Pruneda and stopped by his last known residence, but no one wanted to comment.
