HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A Broward middle school teacher was arrested Wednesday for allegedly having “inappropriate contact” with a female student, authorities said.
Felicia Smith, 38, was arrested by Hollywood police on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation and lewd and lascivious battery.
According to a news release from the police department, Smith is a teacher at Driftwood Middle School, located at 2751 N. 70th Terrace.
The school website lists her as a language arts teacher.
Police said they were made aware of the allegations Wednesday and Smith admitted to officers that she and the student developed a “maternal relationship” at the beginning of the year.
She then admitted to kissing the student on school grounds, authorities said.
According to her arrest report, Smith kissed the student on the cheek to the point where a hickey was left behind.
The girl’s legal guardian told police that the student initially claimed she had been hit in the face with a football, but when he called the school to ask why he hadn’t been notified about the injury, he was told that the girl didn’t attend PE class that day, but had been with Smith.
According to Smith’s arrest report, the student had missed her PE class for weeks to instead go to Smith’s classroom.
Police said Smith spoke to the girl’s guardian over the phone and apologized, claiming that the victim told her she was having issues at home so she believed it would be easier for the girl to talk to her.
According to the report, the girl’s guardian believed the mark on her cheek appeared to be a hickey and eventually noticed another one on her neck.
Later on at home, the victim began to cry and admitted to her guardian that the mark was a hickey given to her by Smith, authorities said.
Police said the man immediately brought the victim back to school to inform the principal and assistant principal.
According to the report, the girl claimed that Smith also forced her hand down Smith’s pants to pleasure her.
Hollywood police said they are working closely with the Broward School Board as the investigation continues.
“The safety of our students is always our top priority,” a spokeswoman for the school district said in a statement to Local 10 News. “Broward County Public Schools is fully cooperating with the Hollywood Police Department in its investigation. The teacher has been reassigned away from the school and students pending the outcome of the case.”