Broward teacher’s aide accused of molesting 2 teens with special needs is behind bars
A teacher’s assistant who had been instructed before not to be alone with female students was arrested Tuesday after detectives say he molested two teenage girls with special needs at a high school in Broward County, according to police.
John Harrison Smith is facing seven counts in connection to his alleged lewd conduct, county court records show. The 53-year-old man from Pembroke Pines remained at the Broward Sheriff’s Office’s Main Jail as of Wednesday afternoon.
According to a Pembroke Pines police report, witnesses at West Broward High School observed Smith on Dec. 13 “inappropriately touching” two teenage students who have mental disabilities.
A witness first saw Smith, who was hired in August of 2019, laying on top of one of the students while she was on the floor looking at her cellphone in the school’s cardio room. When the witness came back with campus security, they observed that the second student’s buttocks were pressed against Smith’s groin as she was moving up and down.
Following a criminal investigation, police arrested Smith on Tuesday morning in the nearby town of Davie.
Teresa T. Hall, the school’s principal, alerted parents about the arrest via email.
“While I am not able to provide details due to the ongoing case, I want you to know the individual has been removed from the school and away from students,” she said. “Providing our students with high-quality learning opportunities in a safe, secure environment is our priority.”
Superintendent Vickie Cartwright told reporters she was outraged over the allegations. She also said Smith has been reassigned to duties that do not involve working with children until the investigation is completed.
“I, as superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, will not tolerate our employees having inappropriate relationships with students or inappropriate touching of students,” Cartwright said. “That is something I will not accept.”
Did Smith exhibit a pattern of improper behavior?
This isn’t the first time that Smith’s alleged actions have caught the attention of school administrators.
On Oct. 12, 2021, the report says Smith was spotted alone with a female student inside a clinic. When a woman who works at the school offered to help, Smith declined, pulled the drapes shut and closed the door.
Ten days later, according to the report, Smith was found in a single-use handicap restroom that a female student had just exited. Both instances of what the school district called alleged “inappropriate behavior” were reported to school authorities.
On Feb. 16, the committee met and concluded that a letter of reprimand against Smith was warranted. But on Feb. 25, Jeffrey Moquin, Cartwright’s chief of staff at the time, ruled there wasn’t just cause for a letter of reprimand because there was no evidence of inappropriate behavior.
“This should be addressed through a letter of expectations and not through discipline,” Moquin wrote.
After being on administrative duty indefinitely, Smith was ordered to return to school and resume regular duties March 3.
When asked about Moquin’s ruling, Cartwright told reporters the district would cooperate fully with law enforcement’s investigation. Cartwright also said she would review the district’s practices related to the Professional Standards Committee and possibly make recommendations to the school board.
“We want to ensure that we are providing that safe environment, especially with our students with disabilities,” Cartwright said.
This story was originally published December 20, 2022 at 8:14 PM.
