Six school employees in Escambia, Santa Rosa counties arrested in 2023

As the 2023-2024 school year is set to begin in August, several employees in Escambia and Santa Rosa schools are unlikely to return.

Six employees, including three teachers, have been arrested so far in 2023 for a variety of offenses that include physical and sexual assault.

Here 's a rundown of the arrests so far this year.

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Warrington Middle School Dean Darreyel Laster arrested for allegedly soliciting student

On Jan. 19, Darreyel Devahn Laster was charged with two counts of lewd or lascivious behavior and one count of obscene communication for allegedly trying to "seduce, solicit, lure or entice" a student from Warrington Middle School to "commit an illegal act or to otherwise engage in any unlawful sexual conduct."

According to Laster's arrest report, the student told an Escambia County Sheriff's deputy on Dec. 27, 2022, "he was being provided marijuana and alcohol along with being propositioned to perform or receive (sexual act) from his former (redacted) dean, Darreyel Laster."

The report alleges Laster asked the student multiple times through text if they could perform sex acts with each other.

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"While smoking together," the arrest report says, "Darreyel Laster tried to get (the student) to let him perform (sex acts) on him."

Laster also allegedly traveled to the student's house unannounced to leave two Four Loko alcoholic beverages outside of the student's window. The student reported Laster texted him, saying "to check by his window" where the Four Lokos were left.

The Office of the State Attorney later added a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Laster's next court date is scheduled for Sept. 26.

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School resource officer David Daniels charged with lewd or lascivious behavior with a minor

In January, the Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office announced they fired Deputy David Daniels after the Department of Child and Families notified them of lewd or lascivious allegations against the deputy.

Daniels was a school resource officer for High Road School of Santa Rosa, but the release says the allegations did not occur while Daniels was on duty or on the school's premises.

"This is another case of an individual that has tarnished the badge," Sheriff Bob Johnson said in the release. "Once we were made aware of it, we responded appropriately, arrested him, and terminated his employment. At the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, we put our citizens first and any deputy who breaks the law will be immediately held accountable."

Daniels allegedly molested an 11-year-old girl in 2016 while she was sleeping between he and his wife.

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"(She) was sleeping in the middle, and she woke up to David rubbing her (inappropriately) with his hand underneath her clothes," the report states. "(She) told David to stop and he did."

Daniels later allegedly "made excuses" for the incident such as he was drunk and was asleep while it happened.

"I remember the incident she's talking about. I woke up and had my hand on (her) waistline, and that's when I woke (redacted) up," the reports states. "So no, (she) was never sexually assaulted."

Daniels claimed he woke up his wife after he discovered he was touching the girl's waist. However, the report notes the girl "had a clear and consistent disclosure of the incident" and Daniel's wife denied his claim of being awoken after the incident.

His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 26.

Woodham and Beulah art teacher Winston Foster charged for 'sexual relationship' with 15-year-old student

Winston Hezekiah Foster was charged in February with one count of sex assault of a victim between 16 and 17, one count of lewd or lascivious behavior of a victim between 12 and 16 and one count of sexual offenses against a student by an authority figure after a State Attorney's Office investigation concluded.

"On Dec. 8, 2022, the Office of State Attorney received a complaint from (redacted) who alleged Winston Foster, her former middle school art teacher, had a sexual relationship with her from Oct. 2017 when she was 15 years old, until Sept. 2019 when she was 17 years old," according to Foster's arrest warrant.

The student gave a sworn statement to an SAO investigator the next day on Dec. 9, saying she was Foster's art student at Woodham Middle School until 2017 when she became a freshman in high school.

After she began high school, she would visit Foster's class on Friday mornings before school, which she said "wasn't uncommon for former students." However, after roughly a month she said Foster began making comments to her she thought were "'weird' for him to say to her."

Another teacher arrested: Woodham, Beulah art teacher charged for 'sexual relationship' with 15-year-old student

She said Foster invited her to eat sushi at his house and at a later date they went and saw a movie together.

"After the movie, they went back to Foster's house where he had ... sex with her," the warrant states. "(She) said she told Foster she wasn't ready, but he forced her anyway."

During the summer months when school was not in session, Foster would pick her up from her home and travel to his new home near Beulah Middle School to have sex, according to the student. While school was in session, she told the investigator Foster would have her visit his classroom early Friday mornings so they could have sex in his room's supply closet.

Foster also allegedly used "WhatsApp" to perform sex acts with the student over the phone while he was out of town.

Foster's next court date is scheduled for Sept. 26.

West Florida High teacher Jerrod Novotny charged with aggravated assault

Jerrod Wade Novotny, a West Florida High School social studies teacher, was charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly pointing a firearm at his significant other in the middle of the night on May 4.

A press release says the woman "woke up to Jerrod standing over her" and was "pointing, with one arm extended, a mostly black with some silver, handgun at her." It also says that "when he realized she was awake and looking at him he hid the gun behind his back."

The report says earlier in the day Novotny allegedly showed up to a Washington High School track meet drunk. The report said the woman was angry that Novotny came to a school function drunk and would not be able to attend dinner with the family.

"Jerrod showed up at Olive Garden, belligerent and drunk," the report states. "Eventually Jerrod went home."

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The day after the incident, Novotny and the woman exchanged text messages, and Novotny said the gun was to shoot himself rather than her.

"I thought I would never fall in love. And I am sorry," the report says. "I understand you want to leave for however long ... I'm sorry I failed to."

He and his attorney, Gene Mitchell, have asked the court to not prosecute the case while also requesting changes to his pretrial release.

"Please no-pros this case," the request states. "We are asking for an order that Mr. Novotny may have unsupervised visitation with his children. This is consistent with the remarks made by the alleged victim under oath at the first appearance held May 10, 2023."

Novotny's next court date is scheduled for July 27.

West Florida High PE teacher Michael Taylor charged with assault and domestic strangulation

On July 9, 48-year-old Michael Taylor, a West Florida High School physical education teacher, was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic battery by strangulation, one misdemeanor count of battery and a misdemeanor count of cyberstalking.

An arrest report states that Taylor allegedly attacked his partner after she was speaking with another man on the phone.

She told authorities that he "took a pillow and hit her in the face with it multiple times, and then put it on her chest and began to deliver forearm strikes." This allegedly occurred July 2.

PE teacher arrested: West Florida High teacher suspended after arrest for assault and domestic strangulation

The report also says the reporting officer took pictures of what appeared to be bruises on the victim's chest.

In a separate incident around July 7, the report says he "became physical" and put his forearm against the victim's neck, restricting her airway and causing her to pass out.

Authorities searched the victim's phone and found messages allegedly sent by Taylor that said he would "ruin (the victim's) life" and would send someone to her.

The report also says the victim told authorities that "next time, he'll kill me."

On July 9, the victim said Taylor was retrieving his belongings from the apartment when he "pulled a black Glock handgun from his pocket and held it to (the victim's) head."

The victim said Taylor was upset about a message that was sent to his ex-wife, and the victim said she believes Taylor could still be married.

Taylor's next court date is scheduled for Aug. 4.

Escambia Head Start teacher Cheyenne Kenny charged with kicking and throwing 5-year-old child at work

An Escambia County teacher for the Community Action Head Start Program was arrested July 19 after footage revealed she allegedly kicked a 5-year-old, dragged the child across the room and then threw her to the floor in March.

The Department of Child and Families, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office and the school itself were investigating 23-year-old Cheyenne Kenny after she allegedly assaulted the child after the child struck Kenny in the leg, an arrest report states.

While at DCF, the reporting deputy saw the video and "observed (the child) swing her arm and hit Kenny in the leg, at which time, Kenny kicked (the child) in the side knocking her to the ground."

Head Start teacher charged: Escambia teacher charged with child cruelty for allegedly kicking, throwing 5-year-old

"I observed a second clip which had Kenny dragging (the child) across the classroom by her arm before shoving her down to the floor," the arrest report states.

The Office of the State Attorney has opened a case against Kenny, charging her with cruelty toward a child without great bodily harm. The charge is a third-degree felony, and, if convicted, Kenny would face five years in state prison.

Kenny's next court date is scheduled for Aug. 11.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia, Santa Rosa County school employees arrested in 2023