The Miami-Dade County, Florida School Board is being sued in two separate suits, the press announced Thursday. The lawsuits allege that a school principal failed to take action against a teacher, Carlos Usatorres, who had been sexually harassing students, news sources indicate. The principal, who was not named in reports, allegedly knew that a teacher was engaging in inappropriate conduct with two students. However, the principal did not take the appropriate action to stop the conduct, which escalated in sexual assault. Usatorres was arrested in May on four counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a child, sources say. It is not yet known whether the principal will face charges for his alleged role in the abuse. It is also unclear whether he has hired an attorney.
Reports say the abuse occurred at the Miami Springs Middle School, which is located off South Royal Poinciana Boulevard in Miami Springs. Usatorres reportedly worked for the school as a gym teacher during the abuse. It is unclear how long he had been with the school.
Prior to his arrest, Usatorres allegedly instructed some of the young girls in his gym class to change in his office while he watched them, reports say. The principal of the school learned about this sometime later, though it is unclear how. The principal did apparently verbally tell Usatorres to stop acting in such a way, but did not take any official disciplinary action, sources indicate.
Usatorres reportedly continued to act inappropriate and at some point engaged in sexual conduct with two of the students. The two 14-year-old victims are sisters, sources indicate. In addition, detectives claim that Usatorres kept in contact with the two victims over the popular blogging website Tumblr, allegedly sending them sexually suggestive messages. Police were unable to track the messages sent on the blogging platform to Usatorres because they were sent from a public, wireless hotspot, reports indicate.
Usatorres has since been charged in the investigation and is awaiting sentencing. It is unclear whether the school board has issued a press release regarding the lawsuits.
Usatorres was not the only Florida man to be charged with sexually harassing a minor recently. Bobby Brents of Cudjoe Key, Florida was arrested Saturday for allegedly touching a 12-year-old girl inappropriately, reports indicate. Brents, 53, was booked into police custody on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor. It is unclear whether he has qualified for bail= or hired legal representation.