Substitute teacher Juan Emmanuel Manns of Boca Raton, Florida was arrested for allegedly touching a 7-year-old student inappropriately.
Manns, 24, taught at an elementary school in Deerfield Beach. He faces one count of lewd and lascivious conduct and was ordered held at Broward County’s Main Jail on $100,000 bond. The press did not say if he has hired an attorney.
According to Broward Sheriff’s Office, the alleged incident occurred at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Quiet Waters Elementary. The student told a detective with BSO’s Special Victims Unit that Manns approached him and told him to sit on his lap. He then felt “something” poking him while he was on the teacher’s lap, the sheriff’s office said.
Manns has reportedly worked as a substitute teacher at the school for over a year. He also worked in the aftercare program. Police believe there may be other victims and are encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
Broward County Public Schools released the following statement about the incident:
“The school’s administration is aware of the allegation and is taking this situation seriously, as safety and security are always our highest priorities.”
Manns has been terminated and will never work as a substitute again, the district said.
Another case involving sexual misconduct between a teacher and his students was reported in Broward last month. Wynam Gresham was arrested after three female students, aged 12, 13, and 15, made sexual misconduct allegations against him.
Gresham, 48, faces charges for lewd and lascivious molestation and lewd and lascivious conduct.
Gresham’s arrest came after a Local 10 investigation revealed that he has a long history of sexual misconduct with students going back almost 20 years, but the district allowed him to continue teaching. Four allegations have been made against Gresham as far back as 1998. The most recent one, an allegation that he physically abused a student, was reported in 2015.
“The defendant’s actions date back to 1998, where he had offered a 13-year-old girl money to strip and perform sexual acts,” prosecutor Amanda Graham told a judge in court on April 6. “In 2002, he touched another girl’s hip area and made inappropriate comments to her. [From] 2007 to 2010, there was another girl, who was a close family friend, who he asked to send picture. And then, in 2015, he actually physically abused a student.”
When asked why Gresham remained employed, Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie told the press that he as not aware of all the other allegations, but the district had launched an investigation.
“Once I have the facts and we can actually see what’s going on, I can tell you without question we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of our students, our families, our communities, and that will never be compromised,” Runcie said.
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Source: 5.18.18 florida_teacher_asked_7-year-old_to_sit_on_his_lap.pdf