Florida substitute teacher charged after alleged Snapchat showed her having sex with student
LAKELAND — A substitute teacher at a Florida high school has been arrested and charged with sexual battery after officials said she had sex with a student enrolled there and a video of the act was allegedly posted on social media.
According to a report from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Ayanna Davis, 20, was taken into custody on Dec. 10 after a student told Lakeland Police Department School Resource officers about a video that had been circulating on Snapchat showing Davis and a Lakeland High School student engaging in sex.
Polk County sheriff's detectives said Davis, of Lakeland, admitted she had "unprotected sex" with the student — reported to be 16 years of age or younger — four times: twice at the student's house and twice at her own home and that the account aligned with what the victim said happened.
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Davis obtained the substitute job teaching English through the staffing company Kelly Education Services, sheriff's officials said. The company has since been informed of the incident and that Davis is no longer allowed to work at any Polk County public school.
Officials with Kelly Education Services said Davis had been an employee since Aug. 23, and "successfully completed and passed all the required background and screening requirements."
"Polk County School District require substitute teacher candidates to have a high school diploma or GED," the company said in a statement Monday. "The results of the background and screening requirements were cleared by the Polk County School District.
"First, the safety of students is our highest priority," the statement went on. "Ayanna Davis has been deactivated and is not able to accept assignments pending the outcome of the criminal investigation."
Kelly Education had no further comment.
“We expect substitute teachers to uphold the same high standards of conduct and professionalism as our full-time educators,” said PCPS 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.”
The charges filed against Davis are two counts of sexual battery by custodian and a charge of offenses against students by an authority figure. Davis was also charged by the Lakeland Police Department with two additional counts of sexual battery.
"She was in a position of influence over the victim," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, "and she took advantage of that for her own twisted pleasure.”
Davis is currently being held on a $60,000 bond and has an arraignment scheduled for Jan. 10.
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This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida substitute teacher arrested on sexual battery charge
