MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A high school teacher in Marion County faces charges for inappropriately touching one of his students, officials said.
On Monday, a school resource deputy met with a dean at Lake Weir High School in reference to a student who wanted to file a report “in regard to suspicious and inappropriate touching” involving her teacher, according to an arrest affidavit.
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The student told deputies that the teacher, identified as 50-year-old Fred Anderson, “sexually grabbed her neck” and told her he would kiss her if they weren’t in a class full of students.
According to the affidavit, Anderson was accused of also telling the student “you’re lucky we aren’t alone” while the girl was talking to two other students.
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The student said that Anderson then stood in front of her, grabbed her neck, got down to her level and said “I’d kiss you if we weren’t in a room.”
According to the affidavit, this was not the first time Anderson had spoken to her in a sexual way. He is accused of previously telling the student that he wished he could bring her home and asked if she had cameras that were recording.
Deputies said that Anderson provided his own account of the incident where he admitted to grabbing the student by the throat “jokingly and playfully,” but not remembering the context of what he said.
Anderson later told deputies that he “felt the need to walk by” the student where he “put his hand around her throat,” but again could not provide the reason why. He also stated that he was unsure if he said anything to the victim.
According to the affidavit, the student said she wished to press charges and Anderson was arrested. He faces charges of simple battery, deputies said.
A Marion County Schools official said that Anderson was hired in the summer of 2020 as a math teacher at the school and had no prior disciplinary action.
He is currently on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an MCPS investigation, which is standard procedure, according to MCPS.
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