Leesburg High band director, counselor ran 'secret society,' hid sexual messages, former student tells police
LEESBURG — A former student at Leesburg High School told Leesburg Police Department investigators that he was involved in a "secret society" at LHS, led by Band Director Gabriel Fielder.
He also told investigators that, when he was 17 and still an LHS student, former LHS guidance counselor Lenny Finelli texted him and asked him "sexual questions," the report said. It also says Fielder — who, as a school employee, is a mandatory abuse reporter — knew about the messages between the student and Finelli and deleted them.
According to the report, after he graduated and turned 18, the former student began a sexual relationship with Finelli, who helped run the band. Finelli has resigned.
Fielder's resignation in lieu of termination is up for consideration at the Lake County School Board meeting on Monday.
The redacted report does not name the former student. Ultimately, no charges were filed because the former student was 18 when he was in a relationship with Finelli.
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'The Elder Council,' a cult-like group
The student told investigators that in September 2020, he was involved with a secret society at LHS called "The Elder Council."
"He said it was a cult like group, that was led by Leesburg's band director, Gabriel D. Fielder," the report said.
The group did not meet at the high school, a school spokeswoman told the Daily Commercial.
One night in September, "Leonardo Finelli, who was currently employed as Leesburg High School's guidance counselor at the time, messaged (the former student) via cellphone," the report said.
Finelli, an LHS class of 2010 graduate, asked to meet up with the student, and about "what his penis size was and about his sexual orientation," the report said.
The two did not meet that night, but the next day, Finelli told Fielder he and the student had been messaging. Fielder then spoke with both Finelli and the student and "said that they are no longer allowed to message each other and if they speak with each other, another member of their group has to be present during the conversation," the report said.
Fielder then deleted all the text messages between the student and Finelli. He deleted them from iCloud, too.
"(The former student) said Gabriel demanded that neither one of them speak about the incident and demanded the remaining members of the group, to keep the incident a secret as well," the report said.
In a supplemental report, it says a guidance counselor informed investigators of a student who may have more information on the case.
The student then told investigators that Finelli told her he and the former student met multiple times for sex in his office during LHS football games. This was after the student had graduated.
"Leonardo would leave the door to his office unlocked, allowing (the former student) to enter," the report said.
After the student graduated, he and Finelli started a relationship that lasted about three months. He lived with Finelli from October to November 2021.
Correction: A previous version of this story credited a guidance counselor with informing investigators of knowledge of a relationship between Finelli and a former student. It was a student who made that report.
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Leesburg High band director, counselor ran cult, Florida police say
