A teacher at Miami Palmetto Senior High School bonded out of the jail Saturday afternoon amid accusations of sexual battery of a female student.
According to a police report, the alleged incidents occurred in November and December of last year. The teacher, 40-year-old Jason Meyers, was arrested at 7 p.m. in the 7400 block of Southwest 118th Street in Miami.
Meyers was previously ordered held on $74,000 bond and was sentenced to house arrest with a GPS monitor. Meyers was also ordered to stay away from the school and the alleged victim.
The report states that Meyers had sexual intercourse and sexual contact with an underage female student on at least two occasions inside a classroom after school.
Meyers is the alleged victim's 12th grade English teacher, according to the report. He also taught creative writing at the school.
The school board said the Miami-Dade County Schools Police Department was notified of an inappropriate relationship between Meyers and the underage female student.
After an investigation, detectives determined there was probable cause to arrest Meyers with the charge of sexual battery on a minor.
It is not known whether Meyers has hired an attorney.
NBC 6 has obtained an electronic statement from the school's principal that was sent to parents Friday morning. It reads as follows:
"Good morning. This is Victoria Dobbs, principal of Miami Palmetto Senior High School calling with an important message.
This week, we received a disturbing allegation concerning an inappropriate relationship between a male teacher and an underaged female student at our school. We notified Miami-Dade Schools Police who immediately assigned detectives to investigate.
Based on the preliminary investigation and in consultation with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, Schools Police determined probable cause and arrested teacher Jason Meyers on a charge of Sexual Battery on a minor.
This allegation is obviously serious in nature and considered a betrayal of the student/teacher professional conduct we expect at our school. The teacher will be relocated from our campus and will not have contact with students pending the outcome of this case. This remains an active police investigation.
Local
As always, I am available to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to reach me at our front office at 305-235-1360.
Thank you."
In a statement released Friday morning, Miami-Dade County Public Schools indicated that Meyers will be terminated from his job. The statement reads as follows:
"Miami-Dade County Public Schools takes seriously any allegation of employee impropriety and professional misconduct especially when it involves children. The alleged actions by the teacher are unacceptable and reprehensible. The teacher will be terminated. The safety and security of our students will always be of first and foremost concern."
Daisy Gonzalez-Diego
Chief Communications Officer
At the school Friday, students reacted to the news, with most saying he was very popular among his students.
"I couldn't believe it," student Edward Veliz said. "Great teacher, he was one of my favorite teachers."
"Like, I had no idea, he was a really good guy and an amazing teacher," student Sophia Mesa said.
The arrest also stunned parents.
"You take your kids to school, expect them to learn, not to have to worry about predators attacking them there," father Matthew Davis said. "You think that's a safe environment."
The investigation is active and ongoing.
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