Florida Teacher Arrested for Alleged Misconduct with Student
A teacher in Florida is facing serious allegations after reportedly initiating a brief “relationship” with a freshman boy, which allegedly began with a troubling six-minute kiss in the classroom.
Leroy Wright Jr., a reading instructor at Miami Jackson High School, was taken into custody on Friday following a day-long investigation into claims of inappropriate behavior with young male students.
The investigation was sparked on April 28 when an anonymous source emailed the principal, suggesting that Wright, 46, was involved in an “affair” with a student. Local news outlets reported the incident.
The principal subsequently filed a report about the misconduct to the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Office of Professional Standards on May 7, which was promptly forwarded to the Miami-Dade School Police.
After speaking with the anonymous tipster, officers were directed to the alleged victim.
During a police interview, the boy recounted his initial meeting with Wright at the start of the academic year when he was invited to join a freshman club that the teacher supervised. Their interaction became frequent; there were times when Wright gave him rides home. Then, things took a concerning turn on April 29 when the boy hugged Wright goodbye as he was leaving class.
According to police reports, Wright returned the hug, but then groped the boy and kissed him on the lips for an astonishing six minutes. The situation allegedly repeated on May 1 and again on May 4 while the boy was in Wright’s car.
Authorities conducted a forensic examination of the victim’s cellphone prior to Wright’s arrest, although the specifics of any findings have not been disclosed to the public.
A neighbor remarked to a local news station that Wright, who holds a Ph.D., seemed “too educated” to engage in such behavior. Nonetheless, it was reported that Wright waived his Miranda rights and admitted to certain aspects of the charges following his arrest.
He now faces charges including unlawful sexual conduct with minors, possession of inappropriate material involving minors, and criminal acts involving students by someone in a position of authority. Wright is currently held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with bail set at $35,000, as noted by the Miami-Dade County Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
