Miami teacher accused of groping student will be freed and put on house arrest
A Miami-Dade teacher accused of kissing and groping a 17-year-old student will be released from jail, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Handcuffed and sitting in the jury box, Leroy Wright, 46, heard that he will be placed on house arrest as he awaits his trial — without having to post a bond. Wright, who was a reading teacher at Miami Jackson Senior High, is facing charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, offenses against students by authority figures and obscene material and minors.
He has pleaded not guilty. Miami-Dade County Public Schools said Wright is in the process of being terminated.
READ MORE: Miami Jackson Senior High teacher faces charges over ‘sex’ with a minor: records
Prosecutors were intending to keep Wright behind bars until his trial but withdrew their request during the hearing. Attorney Jessica Mishali argued that Wright was not a “danger or a predator” and should be granted house arrest.
The teacher, she said, had “46 years of good acts and good deeds” and is a respected member in the community. She pointed out how several of his relatives and supporters attended the hearing in the courtroom and on Zoom.
Before making her decision, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michelle Delancy said she was not comfortable letting Wright freely roam despite the outpouring of support from his community.
“People live secret lives,” the judge said.
While out on house arrest, Wright will be able to attend church on Sunday and visit the homes of his parents and 97-year-old grandmother twice a week. However, Wright, who is the caretaker of his parents and grandmother, will have to make formal requests to the judge if he has to take them to medical appointments.
Outside the courtroom after Wright’s hearing, Pastor Jim Williams, of the Lighthouse Worship Center, told reporters he has known Wright for seven years and is shocked by the nature of the allegations against him. The church community, he said, will continue to stand with Wright.
“That’s difficult for me to believe,” Williams said. “… Anybody can paint a picture of anybody.”
What led to the teacher’s arrest?
According to his arrest report, Wright and the victim met when Wright asked the boy to join a school club that Wright was sponsoring. At a later date, the victim, whom police interviewed, gave Wright a hug in his classroom, and Wright kissed and groped the minor, investigators say.
A week later, Wright kissed and groped the boy again in the classroom, according to police. Another time, the boy got into Wright’s car, and the teacher touched his genitals while they sat in traffic, the report says.
In an interview with investigators on May 7, Wright admitted that he and the victim texted — and that the victim had sent him a video of his genitals. Wright said he didn’t respond or report the video to school administrators.
Wright was arrested a day later.
Police searched the victim’s phone and found a string of messages between Wright and the victim, according to the arrest report.
In one, the victim said, “WHAT MADE U WANNA START THIS WHOLE RELATIONSHIP WITH ME?,” according to the report. Wright responded that he wanted to have that conversation in person.
Wright’s next court date is scheduled for May 29.
