After a student at Lakeland Senior High School in Florida told police about a Snapchat video of 20-year-old substitute teacher and a 16-year-old student having sex, the teacher has been arrested.
Ayanna Davis, a resident of Lakeland, Fla., admitted to detectives that she had unprotected sex with the student four times, twice at her home and twice at his, said the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Her admission was corroborated by the victim.
“This is a clear violation of sexual battery laws. She was in a position of influence over the victim, and she took advantage of that for her own twisted pleasure said Polk County Sherriff Grady Judd.
Davis was arrested last Friday by the Polk County Special Victims Unit and has been charged with five counts of Sexual Battery. She had her first court appearance Saturday, where $60,000 in bonds were ordered against her.
An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10.
Videos shared on the Snapchat social media app disappear after a set amount of time, but they can be saved. According to authorities, a student told Lakeland Police Department School Resource officers about the video, kicking off an investigation on Dec. 3. Police said the student claimed the video was shown to a large group of Lakeland High School football players.
Since Davis’ residence is outside of city limits in unincorporated Polk County, the sheriff’s office soon became involved.
As a substitute English teacher, Davis is not an employee of Polk County Public Schools. She was placed at the school through Kelly Education Services, a staffing company. Authorities said Kelly Education has been notified that Davis is not allowed to work at any PCPS school site.
In October, the school district changed its policy to permit anyone 20 years old or older with a high school or GED diploma to be a substitute teacher, said The New York Post, quoting WFLA.
COVID-19 related issues have put teachers and substitute teachers in demand, The New York Times said last month.
According to The Lakeland Ledger, Kelly Education Services officials said Davis had been an employee since Aug. 23, and “successfully completed and passed all the required background and screening requirements.”
“We expect substitute teachers to uphold the same high standards of conduct and professionalism as our full-time educators,” said Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid. “The charges against this person are disgraceful and a complete violation of the trust that teachers build with their students. There is no room in our schools for this type of conduct.”
Related
Related
