FORT LAUDERDALE — A Broward County Public Schools teacher was arrested this week for allegedly grooming a 16-year-old student into having a romantic and sexual relationship with him, arrest documents said.
Lem Anthony McKinney, 40, is currently charged with soliciting and engaging in sexual conduct as an authority figure. In his bond court appearance on Thursday morning, a judge ordered a $25,000 bond and ordered him to have no contact with the victim or any other minors, and he is not allowed to return to J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs, where he worked.
The judge added that there is an exception for his children, as the prosecution asked for him to avoid places where a large group of kids may be present, including sports games and parks.
According to BCPS, McKinney has been working as a social sciences teacher at J.P. Taravella High since March 2022, and he has been reassigned by the district away from the school and students pending the case’s outcome.
“We defer to law enforcement for any additional details,” BCPS said in a statement to CBS News Miami.
The arrest
According to the arrest documents, the victim told Coral Springs Police that since the beginning of the 2024 school year, she has been a student in McKinney’s African American History class, which is her last class of the day. She said that since the school year began, McKinney would allegedly talk to her about intimate things including his romantic and sexual experiences. The victim went on to say that McKinney would make her feel “comfortable to share personal things about her life” and created a “trustworthy” bond with her.
“Over a six-month period, [McKinney] was supposed to be teaching the victim,” the arrest documents said. “He instead used his position of trusted authority to solicit a relationship with the 16-year-old child.”
The victim told police that she began to confide in him in and out of the classroom, often waiting outside in the hallways so they would walk out of the school together and continue their conversations.
While in class last Monday, McKinney approached the victim and told her that he found her on social media and began following her. Later that evening, he initiated a conversation online saying “Now we can continue our convos lol.” After the victim replied, he immediately wrote back “As long as these messages are not seen,” the arrest documents said.
The victim continued, telling police that McKinney would assure he that he “always deletes everything” and said “Remember this ain’t new to me,” the arrest documents said.
At one point in the conversations, McKinney began to talk to the victim about his troubled relationship with his wife and attempted to entice the victim to taking their relationship further.
“The victim tells [McKinney] that she hopes things get better with him and his wife and the defendant replies ‘me too but if not…’ The victim replies ‘No’ and the defendant asks ‘why not tho.’ The victim tells him ‘Because that’s bad’ and he states ‘Sometimes bad is good,'” the arrest document said.
The conversation then escalated when McKinney shared with the victim that he cheats on his wife and asked the victim whether she would cheat. When the victim said “Never,” McKinney allegedly wrote back saying that he is loyal “to a certain extent” and that “the right person and the right situation can persuade me at the right time,” the arrest documents said.
The victim then adamantly told McKinney that the “right person” was his wife but he went on to say that he wasn’t being “pleased” and tried again to persuade the victim into having a relationship, but she pushed back and told him to “stop thinking things,” the arrest documents said.
The conversation continued when McKinney revealed to the victim that he would often daydream about the 16-year-old. When the victim asked him if he would cheat on his wife with her, he sent a zippered-mouth emoji and wrote “Maybe.” When McKinney began to avoid giving the victim a straight answer, she asks him to give her a response.
“She asks ‘So what’s that verdict’ and [McKinney] writes ‘I’m down,'” the arrest documents said. “‘Down to do what Mr. McKinney’ and the defendant replies ‘Anything you’re comfortable with.’ When the victim asks what he likes, he states ‘everything’ and ‘I’m a pleaser… I’m down to do whatever you want however you want.'”
McKinney then went into explicit detail about the acts he would commit with the victim, ensuring her that his wife would “never know” about their relationship, the arrest documents said. Their conversations ended on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, McKinney was taken into custody by Coral Springs Police. He was read his Miranda rights by prepared text and was advised by officers that he wished to speak about it. McKinney was then taken into the police department before being transferred to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
