A 35-year-old woman, who previously worked as a secretary at a high school in Miami, was arrested and charged after being accused of trying to establish a romantic relationship with a student.
Per Local 10 News, the suspect, identified as Vanessa Vigil, was a secretary at Miami Killian Senior High School. The victim accused Vigil of being “very flirtatious” with him for about three weeks. The victim told officers he was inappropriately touched by Vigil, adding that she also told him he was handsome and asked for his phone number. The victim also said Vigil told him that she loved him.
The September 21 arrest report detailed instances where Vigil made the alleged advances toward the victim. In one of them, Vigil is said to have used her nails to touch the victim’s lower back as he was picking up a pencil he dropped on the floor.
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Police said the 35-year-old suspect told the student, “I would have bagged you if I was in high school with you.” The victim also said that on that same day, Vigil later handed him a “dirty pizza slice key chain” that was holding the keys to her house. The victim also said Vigil asked for his phone number while a student was present. The student in question told police that was the case.
The report further stated that Vigil and the student had another encounter at the school’s office the next day, Local 10 News reported. During that encounter, Vigil gently rubbed the victim’s face with her hands and told him that he was “so handsome and your face is smooth.” A student also saw what occurred, police said.
Later that day, Vigil told the victim, “I am in love with you” after caressing his face during another encounter. Vigil is said to have later made the victim accompany her to a storage closet located in the main office. Police said the student was behind her when they were walking to the closet, adding that Vigil “placed her hands on her buttocks and looked back at him and smiled.”
The student said Vigil touched his chest when they entered the room and told him, “You should get out of here before I do something I’m not supposed to do.” The victim said he also stepped backwards after Vigil made movement suggesting she was going to kiss him.
Police said that as they were walking, Vigil touched the victim again and asked for his phone number, but he did not give it to her, Local 10 News reported. Police said Vigil subsequently blew a kiss at the victim as he made his way out of the office.
The victim informed police the incident left him feeling uncomfortable, adding that he suffered a panic attack after he made his way to the bathroom. Vigil was ultimately arrested on October 18. And though she did not deny giving the pizza key chain to the victim, she alleged it was the boy who was flirting with her.
“I like (the victim) as that cool kid that I would like to shoot the s*** with,” she told police, the report stated. Vigil also denied asking for the victim’s phone number and attempting to groom him. She has since been charged with battery and offenses against a student.
“It’s pretty disturbing. It’s disturbing, but it happens with people in power roles — it happens a lot,” an individual whose wife is an employee at the school said. “I’m just shocked. I never imagined that that would happen here at the school,” a parent also said.
In the wake of her arrest, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools informed the news outlet that Vigil was no longer an employee at the school. “Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations made against this former employee,” Miami-Dade County Public Schools said in a statement.
“M-DCPS cooperated with the authorities during the investigation of this former employee. This type of comportment will not be tolerated as it runs contrary to the professional conduct we expect from all employees.”
