On Friday, November 22, 2024, Candace Brown, a private school teacher in Plantation, Florida, was arrested for engaging in unlawful sexual acts with a minor. According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, Candace Allison Brown of Weston, who turned herself in, is facing two counts of lewd and lascivious battery of a victim less than 16 years old and one count each of lewd and lascivious conduct and transmission of material harmful to a minor by electronic device. Brown was held at Broward County Main Jail on a $40,000 bond.
According to media reports, Candace Allison Nichol Brown, a 35-year-old female teacher at Sawgrass Adventist School, a private Christian school in Plantation with students from K-8 grade, had inappropriate relations with a 14-year-old boy in Deerfield Beach between June 1 and June 30, 2024. The alleged abuse included sexual contact, transmitting to the victim a video of herself performing a sexual act on herself, and kissing.
Frank Runnels, Vice President of Education for Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventist, released a statement,
"We just received a report of inappropriate and illegal conduct by one of our teachers with regard to a student, and we are taking it very seriously. Because our commitment to student welfare and safety is our foremost priority, we are cooperating fully with law enforcement and have promptly removed the teacher from our campus and her position."
Brown has worked at Sawgrass Adventist School since 2016 as a middle school teacher in math and history. Detectives believe there may be additional victims. As of the date of the arrest, no civil lawsuit has been filed, nor has an attorney appearance for the alleged victim. Brown's picture has already been removed from the Sawgrass Adventist School website.
Schools are educational institutions in which children should be able to learn and develop skills in a nurturing environment. It is expected that they are safe from violence, bullying, harassment, and sexual abuse. Teachers and coaches are entrusted to facilitate learning and support the educational needs of their students. Someone who sexually violates young children has no place working in the school system. Any school where such a crime is committed should take responsibility if they fail to screen potential teachers and protect their students properly.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse in schools and other educational settings. If you or a loved one was sexually abused, raped, or sexually molested by a principal, teacher, or another school employee, contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or e-mail sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz, at adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com for a free consultation.