Fanjul said he wanted students to feel welcome in his classroom, comfortable in school and excited about education. "There are different styles of teaching, and my style is very interactive," Fanjul said. "You do not need to break school or district policies to be a good teacher."

He said when he was assigned to assist with West's AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) effort, he was required to be available to students.

The girl who accused Fanjul testified he told her that he had been sexually involved with an underage girl in Washington state years ago, a claim that Fanjul emphatically denies.

"I have never been inappropriately involved with a student or any underage girl," he said. "I have been teaching 17 years now. I have never had a problem, never, never."

He also insists he has never given a student a ride in his car.

In many news accounts, reporters often referred to another West High employee, Marco Herrera, 54, who now is in prison after he pleaded guilty to engaging in illegal sexual activity with the same West High girl.

"Every time they would show our story, they would link it with Marco Herrera," Angela Fanjul said, adding that she feels sorry for Herrera's family.

"We really feel nothing but compassion for this girl and the Herrera family."

Jose Bernardo Fanjul came to the U.S. in 1982 for a visit, fell in love with a woman here, married and had three children. He was gratified that his ex-wife turned up at the trial to show support.

While they were married, he worked as a custodian, picked fruit and baled hay to support himself and his family while getting an education. He graduated from Utah State University and then got a master's degree from Washington State University.

"I was very excited about school, because I had teachers who were excited about teaching."

Back in Utah, he taught migrant workers and middle-school children in Ogden before coming to West High School, which he said he loves because of its diversity.

He notes proudly that a group of Muslim students asked him, a Hispanic Mormon, to be the adviser for their Muslim student club.

He wept only once during the trial, when a Vietnamese student cried on the witness stand as she tried to defend him. Fanjul said now that he regrets that he was not around to see this girl's senior year and share her enthusiasm about going to college.

"I really miss school, I miss teaching, I miss West High."

Questioned about the possibility of losing his teacher's certificate and maybe having to change careers, Fanjul looks somewhat taken aback.

"That is a question I don't know how to answer at this point."

"Teaching," Angela Fanjul said, "is who he is."

E-MAIL: lindat@desnews.com