Substitute teacher watched porn in front of kids in classroom, Michigan prosecutors say
A substitute teaching at a school for the first time was arrested following “unacceptable” classroom behavior, Michigan authorities say.
Francesco Iaquinta, 62, is accused of watching pornography and touching himself while in a classroom with children at the Academy of Warren, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said in an Oct. 2 news release.
Authorities did not state what grade Iaquinta was teaching. Academy Of Warren is a PK-8 school about 10 miles northeast from Detroit.
McClatchy News has reached out to school officials and is awaiting a response.
A school district spokesperson said in a statement to The Detroit News that Iaquinta “does not work for Academy of Warren,” but rather an outside company.
“We only used him for one day and when we became aware of the allegations we took them very seriously which is why we followed all protocols and immediately turned the substitute teacher over to the authorities,” the district said in its statement. “Our priority is ensuring the safety and well-being of our students. This man was a first time substitute in our building from a staffing agency and cleared required background checks.”
Iaquinta was arrested after the Sept. 24 incident and charged with a felony count of distributing sexually explicit, visual or verbal matter to children and a misdemeanor count of obscene disorderly conduct, prosecutors said.
He was jailed on a $25,000 bond, according to prosecutors.
“As a trusted educator, the defendant had a responsibility to provide a safe and focused learning environment for students. Instead, he violated that trust,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said. “This behavior is unacceptable, and we are committed to pursuing justice to ensure that such misconduct has no place in our schools.”