http://www.abcactionnews.com/stories...2teacher.shtml
Quote:
TAMPA - A Hillsborough County teacher accused of having sex with a teenager appeared in court for the first time Tuesday, and was released from jail hours later amidst a crush of cameras and reporters.
Debra Beasley Lafave, a 23-year-old reading teacher at Greco Middle School in Temple Terrace, was in court to face two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior. Investigators believe she had two sexual encounters with a 14-year-old student at the school.
Lafave was arrested Monday at the home of the teen, who came forward with word of the relationship, according to police.
During Lafave's first appearance, attorney Fred Dollrath succeeded in getting Judge W.R. Heinrich to lower his client's bond to $5,000 from $15,000, clearing the way for her release from jail.
"She has no prior record, she's an outstanding member of the community, she's lived here all her life. We'll just have to see what occurs as we conduct the investigation," Dollrath explained.
Sensing the community interest surrounding the case, Judge W.R. Heinrich offered Lafave some advice during her appearance via closed circuit TV.
"Don't talk. The press is here. They have cameras, they have the print media. They are going to take down everything you would say. That would not be in your best interest," he told Lafave.
When Lafave was released from the Orient Road Jail later in the afternoon, she was accompanied by a phalanx of supporters and family. Lafave held on to the hand of her mother, who reached out to push cameras away. Another man accompanying the group pulled at cameras and cursed at reporters as Lafave was hastily loaded into a black SUV.
Tuesday afternoon, no one answered the door at Lafave's parents' Ruskin home, where she was reportedly staying.
Lafave quickly ducks into a waiting SUV, which then sped off.
Meanwhile, an Action News review of Lafave's Hillsborough County School District personnel file revealed high marks for the two-year teaching veteran. Before her time as a reading teacher at Greco Middle School, she received all 'excellent' ratings for her internship at a Pasco County middle school.
Tuesday, the school board spokeswoman declined to speculate about Lafave's future, citing the legal hoops the case still had to go through.
"There hasn't been time for due process to take place. Our typical procedure allows for any employee who is arrested to meet with our director of professional standards to discuss the case," Linda Cobb stated.
Cobb added that a suspension of Lafave would be discussed at the July 13 school board meeting.
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