MIAMI – A substitute teacher is facing three criminal charges after Miami-Dade Schools police said “several” girls came forward to report that he had been engaging in “extremely alarming and highly inappropriate behavior” while working at a middle school in Miami.
According to police, Jeffrey Vergara, 23, of southwest Miami-Dade, was working at Kinloch Park Middle School at 4340 NW Third St. in the Flagami neighborhood.
An arrest report states that the girls told a staff member on Nov. 1 that Vergara “made sexually explicit and suggestive comments to several female students” and “solicited sexual acts and favors from multiple students.”
Police said the girls found Vergara’s “comments, gestures and behavior extremely alarming and highly inappropriate.”
According to the report, some of those comments included telling girls “You have a nice a--,” “Your boobs are big,” and “I would f--- you if you were older” and remarks about his penis size.
Police said he also solicited sexual images and sex from some of the girls on WhatsApp and Snapchat. They reported he hugged or touched them in ways that made them feel “uncomfortable.”
Authorities said Vergara would vape what one girl believed to be cannabis in the classroom and “offer(ed) it to students.”
In one instance, during a random metal detection search, one of the girls told police that Vergara “helped her hide her vape from the metal detection team so she would not get caught,” the report states.
Vergara’s arrest report states that he turned himself in on Thursday and was arrested on charges of offenses against students by authority figures, lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under 16 and contributing to the delinquency of a child.
Authorities said he “gave a full verbal and written confession.”
Vergara, appearing to shake uncontrollably and wearing an anti-suicide vest, faced Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer late Friday morning.
Glazer found probable cause for the charges and gave him a series of stay-away orders, setting his bond at $16,000.
“I think the most important thing here: Sir, you’re ordered not to serve as a sub for any minors,” she said. “You may not work as a sub for any minors. No one under 18.”
In a statement, a Miami-Dade County Public Schools spokesperson said in part that the district “is deeply troubled by the concerning allegations made against this individual.”
“Upon receiving the allegation he was precluded from serving as a substitute teacher or in any other capacity in the District,” the statement reads. “M-DCPS goes to great lengths to provide a safe school environment for our students and employees.”
Vergara’s former employer, Kelly Services, which is contracted to provide substitute teachers to M-DCPS, also released a statement Friday:
“Kelly Education is deeply troubled by the reports of inappropriate behavior involving our former employee while on assignment. The safety and well-being of students across Miami-Dade County Public Schools are our top priorities, and we cooperate closely with our school partners and law enforcement to ensure all reports are investigated thoroughly. The substitute educator’s employment has been terminated.
Our screening procedures comply with the Florida Department of Education’s rigorous standards and go beyond those standards to include comprehensive background and fingerprint checks. These checks cover local, state, and national criminal records, as well as the National Sex Offender Registry and crimes against children. In addition to state standards, our vetting system strictly adheres to all district requirements, ensuring we maintain the highest safety standards. The former substitute educator passed all screenings prior to employment.
We remain committed to partnering with our school communities to foster safe and thriving learning environments for all students.”
Kelly Education statement