Math teacher in Haines City arrested and accused of dating student

Haines City Police Department arrested a 23-year-old math teacher on Tuesday after a tip led to an investigation into him possibly “dating” a student.

Police received a tip from someone who suspected there was an inappropriate relationship between Kevin Rodriquez-Febus and the female student, according to a police news release.

“In statements to detectives, the victim said she and Febus were in a dating relationship since early 2023,” police said. The victim told detectives that the teacher approached her online via a messaging app.

“The victim stated that they have met at various locations throughout the state to go on dates,” police said. “Febus told detectives that he was in love with the victim and wanted a relationship with her.”

Febus then told detectives that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, police said, and admitted to several acts of inappropriate behavior with the victim. He was arrested on a charge of sexual offense against a student by an authority figures, a second-degree felony in Florida.

Within the Lewdness and Indecent Exposure statutes in Florida (Chapter 800), an authority figure such as a teacher cannot solicit or engage in sexual conduct, a relationship of a romantic nature or lewd conduct with a student, police said in an email on Wednesday in response to a reporter's questions.

The suspect falls under the definition of an “Authority Figure” because he is over the age of 18 and employed by a “school” as defined by Florida statute, police said. The victim is defined as a “student” because she was enrolled in a “school” as defined by state statute. Police said neither the age of the student nor consent pertains to the law.

“We are thankful to the witness who spoke up on behalf of the victim, as this inappropriate relationship would have likely continued,” Haines City Police Chief Greg Goreck said in the press release. “Based on the initial contact between the victim and the suspect taking place online, I would encourage parents to always be mindful of who their children are communicating with and the nature of their conversations."

Febus was scheduled to see a judge at a first appearance Wednesday morning and was being held on no bond.

Febus is not the first teacher in Haines City to face charges related to a relationship with a student. A math teacher at Haines City High School was arrested in November 2022 and charged with having sexual contact with a 17-year-old female student.

Jeremiah Stringer, 25, of Winter Haven faces a charge of custodial sexual battery on a victim older than 12 but younger than age 18, which is a first-degree felony. Stringer remains in jail awaiting trial, court and jail records show.

In 2021, Wayne McKenzie Ricks II, 31, was arrested and charged with grooming and sexually battering a 16-year-old student at Haines City High School. In August, Ricks was sentenced to five years in state prison followed by 10 years of probation on the 2021 charges, according to Polk County Clerk of Court records.

When asked about the frequency of such arrests in Haines City, police said, “There is no statistical data saying that Haines City has more of these cases than anywhere else.”

“However, Haines City Police Department takes each of these allegations seriously and we thoroughly pursue the investigation of these claims until we either disprove it or make an arrest.”

Lakeland High School also had a recent sex-crime arrest involving a volunteer track coach. Jarvis Young, 40, was arrested Sept. 15 and charged with sexual battery on a 16-year-old boy. Also in August, Shawn Fitzgerald, 49, a former teacher and soccer coach, received a 35-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. Fitzgerald was arrested in 2020, when the Polk County Sheriff’s Office charged him with 408 counts of child pornography.

When asked about the most recent arrest, the Polk County Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid said in an email that teachers and school employees are held to the highest standards.

“We trust them with our children, and anyone who takes advantage of such positions of authority has no place within our schools,” Heid said. “We are moving forward with ending this person’s employment with Polk County Public Schools, and we will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement in their investigation."

Following the arrest of Young in Lakeland, the district’s “human resources reviewed our existing procedures and began implementing new measures to enhance our screening process for applicants,” Heid said. “One of these changes was made to the PCPS application for employment, which now asks applicants if they have ever been arrested, not just convicted. Accordingly, background screening results for applicants are reviewed for any incidents in their history that may impact student safety.”

Young was arrested in December 2011 on charges of conspiracy to commit sexual battery on a person under 18. In that case, Young and a Lake Wales minister, Arnold M. Mathis, were accused of sexually abusing two teenage boys. At a press conference, Sheriff Grady Judd said those charges were dropped because the statute of limitations had expired.

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And three years before Ricks' arrest at Haines City, he had been arrested, and later acquitted, on similar charges from his time teaching at Poinciana High School in Osceola County.

Febus has no prior incidents in his employment file with the district, and he passed the initial screening for all PCPS applicants.

Polk County Schools follow Florida statute to determine employment eligibility, the district said. A person is ineligible for employment in any position that requires direct contact with students if they have been convicted or found guilty of, have had adjudication withheld for, or have pled guilty or no contest to any felony offense prohibited under that statute.

Anyone with additional information about the case or other potential victims should call the Police Department at 863-421-3636. If you would like to report anonymously, contact Heartland Crime Stoppers at 888-400-8477.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Haines City police say high school teacher was dating student