Miami Southridge High teacher accused of romantically pursuing teen student
Police arrested a Miami Southridge Senior High School teacher Friday on charges he romantically pursued a teenage student since the academic year started in August.
The teacher, 53-year-old Rudolph Infante, is accused of touching the girl several times, kissing her and showing her a tattoo of two hearts on his rib cage — telling her one heart represented her and the other him, according to his arrest report.
The girl met Infante in August when he began teaching her piano, the affidavit states. By the end of September and the beginning of October, she began to notice Infante taking a romantic interest in her, with him once telling the teen that he wished he was 30 years younger and telling her she was beautiful, the report states.
Infante was booked into jail on four counts of battery and one count of offenses against students by authority figures, according to his arrest report. He was released on $14,000 bond and is under house confinement with an ankle monitor, according to court records.
He entered a written plea of not guilty. He is represented by an attorney with the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
The Miami-Dade Public Schools Police Department began investigating the case in February and interviewed the girl, according to the report. She told detectives that in October, she was typing on her phone’s Notes app and he took the device and typed in, “Call Rudy,” along with his phone number, the report states.
He was alone with the girl several times in a small room behind his desk, according to the report. In the room, he told her that he was thinking about her and that he couldn’t wait to be with her, the report states. He also touched her buttocks several times, and she ceased asking him to stop because he didn’t listen when she asked him in the past, detectives wrote in the report.
The girl told detectives Infante also placed her on his lap and kissed her on the chest, according to the report.
The Miami-Dade Schools Police Department began an investigation after learning about “this suspected behavior,” and Infante was arrested, school district spokesperson Elmo Lugo said in a statement.
“Miami-Dade County Public Schools is disturbed by the allegations against Infante, and the district has initiated termination proceedings and will ensure he’s precluded from seeking future employment with the district,” Lugo said.
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated as it runs contrary to the professional conduct we expect from all employees,” he said.
This story was originally published April 13, 2026 at 3:25 PM.
