Miami Arts Charter School teacher accused of having sexual relationship with student

MIAMI – A language arts teacher at Miami Arts Charter School was arrested Monday on accusations that she has been in a "consensual" sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student for the past two years, authorities said.

According to an arrest report, the victim told detectives that he had sex with Valeria Costadoni, 30, about four times at her home.

Police said Costadoni also performed oral sex on the student on "many different occasions" inside a classroom at the school.

The teacher and student also had sex in Costadoni's car and at the victim's home, the arrest report stated.

Alfred de la Rosa, the chief education administrator of Miami Arts Charter School, released a statement Monday, saying the school found out about the accusations through media reports, but was willing to cooperate with authorities.

"As always, we are committed to doing all we can to maintain student safety and the well-being of our students at all times," de la Rosa said. "The teacher has been removed from the school, and our staff shall be standing by to offer student support, guidance and counseling as may be necessary." 

Parents at the school who spoke to Local 10 News reporter Michael Seiden on Monday said they were disgusted after hearing about the arrest.

"I don't care if it's consensual. It's a child," one mother said. "I'm sorry. It doesn't matter. No. A child is a child, no matter what."

Students were also in shock to hear that something like this could happen at their school.

"It's, like, sad to know someone so high up was doing such horrible things," one student said. 

Authorities did not immediately disclose how they were initially made aware of the accusations against the teacher. 

Police said Costadoni refused to speak with detectives without an attorney present.

She was arrested on two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a child.

According to the school's website, Costadoni is from Asuncion, Paraguay, and moved to Miami in the late 1990s. 

She graduated from Miami Coral Park Senior High School before joining the writing seminars program at Johns Hopkins University, the website stated.

Besides teaching, Costadoni also served as the language arts department chair at the school's Wynwood campus. 

Costadoni appeared at a bond hearing Monday. She was released on $15,000 bail.