Berkeley private school teacher charged with sex crimes

A teacher at a private Berkeley high school for students with learning differences has been charged with more than 20 felonies stemming from a sex crime investigation that began last week, court records show.

Berkeley police arrested Jason Hoopes, a 49-year-old El Cerrito resident, on Wednesday, according to booking and court records.

Jason Hoopes. BPD

The investigation began May 19 when a Bayhill High School principal reported "a series of explicit communications" between Hoopes and an underage student that had taken place over text, Berkeley police wrote in charging papers.

Hoopes was put on administrative leave and has since been terminated, officials said.

Police ultimately determined that the messages had taken place over several months and that Hoopes had met the student in a nearby East Bay city at least five times for several hours each, according to charging papers.

During the visits, Hoopes hugged and kissed the student and "specifically told the victim not to tell anyone about their relationship," police wrote.

Police found "sexually explicit communications and photographs" on the cellphones of the student and Hoopes, BPD said.

When BPD originally arrested Hoopes, he "admitted to exchanging sexually explicit communications and photographs" with the student, police wrote, and corroborated other aspects of the student's statement.

"Hoopes admitted to engaging in sexual activity with the victim five times during the times he met the victim alone," Berkeley police wrote.

On Thursday, the Alameda County district attorney's office charged Hoopes with multiple counts of arranging a sexual meeting with a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse and oral copulation of a person under 18, according to court records.

He is set for arraignment Friday.

According to a bio, which has been removed, from the Bayhill High School website, Hoopes is a Bay Area musician and educator with degrees from Mills College.

"He has taught music to homeschool students, substitute teaches around the bay area, has led workshops on improvisation for college and high school dance and music departments, and works as a general academic tutor," the bio read. "Jason’s extensive experience and practice as an improviser gives him a uniquely strong skill set when working within the complex landscape of diverse learning styles."

In a prepared statement, Bayhill High School said it had promptly made a mandated report to Berkeley police after learning about the inappropriate text communications between Hoopes and a student early last week.

"We immediately placed Mr. Hoopes on administrative leave and, since then, have terminated his employment. We have and will continue to cooperate with the police criminal investigation," the school told The Scanner.

"When Mr. Hoopes was hired, he cleared background checks, which included FBI fingerprinting," the statement continued. "Healthy relationships between students and employees and the emotional and physical well-being of children are fundamental to what we stand for at Bayhill. Conduct by faculty or other employees that violates our trust in them will not be tolerated. To that end, our school has very robust child protection policies in place that meet best practices, and we reinforce these expectations on a regular basis."