Leslie Bushart, a 49-year-old middle school teacher in Florida, was arrested and charged after bragging about having oral sex with a 15-year-old boy. Bushart and the boy engaged in the activity during a graduation ceremony after Bushart attempted to smoke marijuana with the teen, according to Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Bushart was busted after bragging to guests who later told the boy’s mother.
The 49-year-old later messaged the boy’s mother and attempted to blame her actions on alcohol.
“She said, ‘I was so intoxicated that I couldn’t light it — so instead, I had oral sex with a 15-year-old boy,’” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “She said to us, “Yeah, I kinda do that when I get drunk.’
“It shocks our conscience that a school teacher of all people would do such a thing.”
She was arrested and charged with lewd battery.
Bushart was placed on administrative leave and will be fired, according to The Ledger. She remains in jail after being unable to pay $15,000 bond.
Over the course of the past year alone, a handful of teachers have been arrested on similar charges, including 25-year-old substitute teacher Alexis Mercedes Boberg in Baltimore, Beulah High School teacher Kelsie Schmidt in North Dakota, Rancocas Valley Regional High School teacher Alexandra Reiner in New Jersey, and 50-year-old Florida substitute teacher Angela Jean Stanton in Florida. Additionally, Texas teachers Meredith Null and Edna Longoria were arrested on similar charges.
As for why the number of these incidents has seemingly increased, studies suggest that smartphones are the primary reason for the spike in illicit relationships, as it allows teachers to communicate with the minors without supervision.
According to a report from the Texas Education Association, smartphones make easy for teachers to privately text and talk with students and also make it possible for teachers and students to share explicit images.
