A 69-year-old Oakland man, Lester Dale Lee, has been charged with mailing threatening communications to Dayton Elementary School in San Leandro. The criminal complaint was unsealed today, and Lee made his initial appearance in federal district court.
The court documents allege that Lee sent threatening letters to the school on three occasions in May 2023. Each letter was reportedly mailed in similar envelopes with typewritten address labels. On May 3, a letter addressed to a teacher contained racial slurs and threats against African American students and the teacher if they were not removed from the class. A second letter, received on May 18, was addressed to the principal and included an unidentified white powder. The third letter, received on May 19, reiterated previous threats using racial slurs.
Lee had been employed as a substitute teacher through a staffing agency at various schools within the San Lorenzo Unified School District during the 2022-2023 school year, including Dayton Elementary School. He was terminated from his position in April 2023 after reports of conflicts with students.
Lee is scheduled for a status hearing on March 28, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin announced the charges.
The complaint states that crimes have been alleged but not proven; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If convicted, Lee faces up to five years in prison and a $100 fine per violation under federal statutes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Mateer is prosecuting with assistance from Amala James following an investigation by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and San Leandro Police Department.