Florida teacher probed for allegedly watching porn during online class
A Florida high school teacher is being investigated over allegations that he watched porn during a virtual class — after a former student posted a clip of the lesson online, district officials said.
Michael Braeseke, who teaches social sciences at South Broward High in Hollywood, appeared to be sitting at a desk looking down as a woman apparently screamed in ecstasy — saying, “Oh my God!” — during a virtual class on Friday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.
A former student at the school posted the footage of Braeseke, 53, on Monday from his Global Perspectives & Research class, which is part of its college-level Cambridge International program at the school, the newspaper reported.
“South Broward high school teacher Mr Micheal Braseke watches pornography in class,” the former student, Elijah Ruby, tweeted, while tagging the school’s principal, Patricia Brown. “How can you let this happen?”
Brown replied that the well-being of students is “always of the utmost importance.”
“As a survivor myself, I would never ignore concerns expressed,” Brown tweeted. “Social media is not the best medium to address issues of this importance. Please encourage others to email/call me. They ARE loved & valued!”
District officials launched a probe into the video on Tuesday, the Miami Herald reported.
“Broward County Public Schools takes all matters and allegations involving the safety of students and staff very seriously,” the statement read.
“When school leaders were made aware of the alleged teacher misconduct during a virtual class, they took immediate action and began to look into allegations and follow proper protocols prior to social media posts.”
The district’s Special Investigative Unit is looking into the matter, officials said.
Braeseke, who has worked for the district for 20 years and earns about $56,000 annually, has not been reassigned, but isn’t teaching this week due to midterms, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
“Proctors have been assigned to monitor testing — including this teacher’s class,” district spokeswoman Kathy Koch wrote the outlet.
Braeseke could not be reached for comment Wednesday, according to the report.
Ruby said a friend found the footage using a program that performs audio searches, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
Ruby told the Miami Herald that a school resource officer reached out to him Tuesday regarding the footage, while asking who had sent him the video.
“It would seem to me the police officer would have more questions about Mr. Braeseke’s behavior and not about the student who sent the video,” Ruby said.
Ruby declined to identify the person who gave him the clip, the newspaper reported.
https://nypost.com/2020/12/17/florida-teacher-probed-for-allegedly-watching-porn-during-class/