An Orange County middle school teacher has been placed on administrative leave following allegations that he inappropriately touched female students.

The incidents occurred at C.W. Stanford Middle School in Hillsborough. Sheriff Charles Blackwood said that Orange County Superintendent Dr. Monique Felder texted him on January 18 to tell him about allegations that were reported to her. School staffers have since carried out an internal investigation and interviewed eight different students.

The mother of one of the girls said that her daughter reported to administrators that her teacher started inappropriately touching her and others during class in September. The identity of the mother is not being revealed.

“She said that [the teacher], when she would have questions and would go up to his desk — he’s seated, she’s a small seventh-grader — would put his arm and caress her back while she was asking the question and then kind of move his hand around her hip to where his fingers would touch her pelvic area,” the mother told ABC11. “And she had asked him several times to stop.”

An investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office did not find evidence of criminal activity in the school’s material. The school resource officer re-interviewed one of the students for clarification, but that interview also did not substantiate that a crime had occurred. At this time, no charges are pending.

On Monday, Child Protective Services with the Department of Social Services received a referral related to this matter. Because the allegations were not against a person in a parental or custodial role, the DSS will not investigate the referral.

Orange County’s investigation is still ongoing, but the referral did not provide any new information regarding any criminal activity.

The principal of the school emailed all seventh-grade parents on Monday letting them know the teacher had transitioned from the school, but the message did not address the allegations.

“We can confirm that [the teacher] was suspended and will not return to any Orange County School,” the superintendent said in a statement.

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