A Florida county school board made the unanimous decision on Tuesday to fire a teacher who allegedly engaged students in inappropriate conversations and gave them unwanted hugs.
The Broward County School Board voted to remove Karleef Kebreau, 44, from his position at Miramar High School after several reports from female students were filed against him, according to a local NBC News affiliate station.
“Those girls were very clear. A lot of them, their stories were consistent. This kept me up last night. I waited because I know how this can impact us,” school board member Rosalind Osgood told the news outlet.
Kebreau, who previously served as a high school math teacher, was reprimanded in June 2019 when students reported him giving unwanted “full-frontal” hugs.
He denies the allegations.
It was recommended at the time that he receive a one-day suspension, but after the school board rejected that option, the superintendent recommended a 10-day suspension instead.
The school board, however, terminated Kebreau’s employment this week.
“When you look consistently about people who do this kind of behavior, they do it on and on and on for years and years and years, and they deny, deny, deny and more victims are hurt by it,” Osgood said of Kebreau.
“Women ought to be protected. School should be a safe place for girls. They shouldn’t have to be harassed and have all kinds of conversations about their butt,” Osgood added, according to WTVJ.
—Updated Wednesday at 2:34 p.m.