A Florida teacher has been arrested after a short-lived relationship with a student allegedly began with a disturbing six-minute-long kiss inside his classroom.
Leroy Wright Jr., a former reading teacher at Miami Jackson Senior High School, was taken into custody on Friday, May 8, following a single-day investigation into his alleged misconduct with a young male student.
According to Local 10, an anonymous tipster emailed the high school principal on April 28, claiming that Wright, 46, was involved in a relationship with a student. The principal filed a report with the M-DCPS Office of Professional Standards on May 7, which was promptly forwarded to the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department.
Police interviewed the tipster, who directed them to the alleged victim. During an interview with officers, the teenage victim stated that he first met Wright earlier in the school year when the teacher invited him to join the Freshman Club, which Wright oversaw. The boy maintained frequent contact with Wright, who sometimes drove him home.
The situation escalated on April 29 when the student hugged Wright while leaving his classroom. Wright returned the hug and allegedly kissed the boy on the lips for six minutes while groping him, according to police. Wright is also accused of kissing and groping the student again on May 1, and groping him a third time while driving him home on May 4.
Officers conducted a forensic examination of the victim's cell phone before arresting Wright. The results of that examination were not publicly disclosed. One of Wright's neighbors expressed shock, telling Local 10 that the teacher, who holds a PhD, was too educated for the crimes he allegedly committed.
Despite this, police stated that Wright waived his Miranda rights and made an unspecified admission to the charges following his arrest. He now faces charges of unlawful sexual activity with a specified minor, possessing obscene material depicting a minor, and committing an offense against a student by an authority figure.
Wright was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remains on a $35,000 bond, according to the Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department.
