POINCIANA, Fla. – An assistant principal of a Poinciana middle school was arrested this week on suspicion of behaving inappropriately with a 13-year old student, including allegations of making him rub her feet and calling him “Sexy Chocolate.”
Dr. Keiva Lark, 53, who works at Lake Marion Creek Middle School, was arrested on charges of lewd/lascivious conduct and lewd offense against a student by an authority figure, both of which are felonies.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said its investigation began on April 4 after the principal of Lake Marion Creek Middle School reported the incident.
Sheriff’s officials said the incident occurred when the boy was sent to Lark’s office because he threw a balled-up piece of paper across the classroom during a test.
While in the office, according to two witnesses and the student, Lark told the victim to rub her feet since he didn’t have anything better to do with his hands, according to authorities.
Deputies said Lark removed her shoes and placed her legs across the boy’s lap, and he did as he was told.
Lark was then heard scolding the boy for not rubbing her feet correctly, and demonstrated how she would prefer to be massaged by rubbing the child’s arm and shoulder, deputies said.
A coworker heard Lark tell the student to rub her feet like he loved her, according to the sheriff’s office, which added that a witness also heard Lark tell the boy that she was doing this so he would know what foreplay is when he gets a girlfriend.
During an interview with the student, he said that Lark has referred to him as “Sexy Chocolate” while passing him in the hallway at the school," according to officials.
Lark initially told detectives that this was only a joke, and that she was just trying to humble the victim, deputies said.
“It’s completely inappropriate for a 53-year old woman to act and talk like this to a middle school boy. It’s even worse given that this was an assistant principal and her student,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
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Lark later admitted that her actions were inappropriate for her profession, but she denied saying anything inappropriate to the victim, according to deputies.
“This is abhorrent behavior for anyone who works among students, especially an administrator. This person no longer has any business being around children. We commend the school principal for immediately reporting this incident so we could take action and work with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to protect students,” Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid said.
Lark has been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Polk County School Board and the Florida Department of Children and Families were also notified about the incident.
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