L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy has called for changes to laws that protect the rights of teachers accused of heinous acts, saying they should be subject to faster dismissal and the loss of pay, benefits and pensions.

Deasy made his comments on KNX-AM (1070) radio in response to reports by The Times that a former teacher charged with lewd conduct with nearly two dozen students receives lifetime health benefits from the L.A. Unified School District and a pension of nearly $4,000 a month from the state teachers’ retirement system.

The teacher, Mark Berndt, is suspected of spoon-feeding what is believed to be his semen to current and former students and taking pictures of the children blindfolded and gagged with tape. He was arrested on Monday.

FULL COVERAGE: Mark Berndt

The superintendent specifically criticized three steps of the legal process. First, an accused teacher is paid full salary while awaiting disposition of the case. Typically, that teacher is “housed” in a district office where there are no students or, in some cases, sent home.