This post was updated Dec. 5 at 12:23 a.m.

Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of child sexual abuse that may be disturbing to some readers.

A judge declared a mistrial Monday after jurors were hung on 11 misdemeanor counts against a former UCLA Early Care and Education Center teacher.

Christopher Rodriguez, the defendant, faced prosecution for sexual battery, false imprisonment, battery, willful cruelty to a child, sexual penetration with foreign object and intimate touch against a person’s will for sexual arousal. 

Following an almost month-long trial, the jury’s foreperson told judge Liliana Gonzalez that further deliberation would be pointless, as the jury would still be hung on all 11 counts against Rodriguez, who worked at various UCLA ECE centers, including the Krieger Center and University Village, for nearly 25 years. 

Rodriguez was arrested in February on five misdemeanor charges and was charged further in May after another child victim reported inappropriate sexual touching at a UCLA ECE classroom. 

[Related: Former UCLA child care teacher charged with sexual battery, cruelty to a child]

The UCLA ECE centers provide care for children ages two months to six years for UCLA-affiliated families.

Beginning Nov. 4, the prosecution brought testimony from the three children and their parents, as well as teachers from the Krieger Center and Alicia Minor, the director of the Krieger Center during one of the incidents. 

[Related: Coverage of the Christopher Rodriguez trial]

Gonzalez allowed for the three child victims to testify in a separate room from Rodriguez, where they each described their interactions with Rodriguez at their school. Though the testimonies were recorded on video and shown to the jury, Gonzalez made her decision following concerns given by the children’s parents, who said it would be emotionally distressing for the child victims to be in the same room as Rodriguez. 

All three children’s parents gave testimony describing the behavioral changes – including nightmares – they saw in their children during their time in Rodriguez’s care. In his testimony, the father of Child B — the second child who testified —  said his child became fearful of strangers and was scared that “bad guys were going to come get her” at bedtime. 

The parents also testified that their children told them about a number of inappropriate acts Rodriguez had allegedly engaged in while working at the school.

“Teacher Christopher was hoping that no one would find out,” said Jennifer Abrams Waxler, an attorney for the prosecution. 

The defense presented several teachers who worked with Rodriguez during his time at UCLA ECE who said they never saw him engage in inappropriate conduct with a student. 

“It never should have been brought to court,” said Michael Machat, attorney for Rodriguez. 

Following Rodriguez’s arrest in February, Krieger Center staff sent an email to ECE families saying the center had taken precautionary measures in response to the initial allegations, including changing the gate code, reminding teachers to be diligent in their observations and requesting UCPD send more patrols to its campus. 

Court will reconvene Dec. 11 at 9 a.m. at Airport Courthouse for final motions.