Taylor Anderson, an English teacher at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, surrendered herself to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office on September 20, 2021, five days after a warrant was issued for her arrest. Anderson has been an employee at the prestigious IMG Academy, a preparatory boarding school and sports training facility located at 5650 Bollettieri Blvd., Bradenton, FL 34210, since January 2021.
According to media reports, Anderson was accused of having sex with a male boarding school student after school staff members notified the police of possible sexual encounters between Anderson and a 17-year-old student. Although the 38-year-old teacher refused to talk with detectives at the time, investigators found enough evidence to support the allegations after searching her residence, car, and cell phone. The student admitted to having sex with Ms. Anderson when confronted by the school administration. A subsequent investigation revealed that Anderson was communicating directly with the student via social media and text messages over several weeks.
According to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, in July 2021, Anderson allegedly picked up a male IMG Academy student from his apartment and engaged in sexual acts while inside her vehicle while parked at the beach. On the victim's phone, detectives found two Facetime videos from July 24 and Aug. 24. In the first, the victim and teacher can both be seen masturbating and Anderson is wearing an IMG Academy shirt before exposing her breasts. In the second video, Anderson is seen masturbating on her bed while the male student watches. The student eventually stopped speaking with Anderson, telling detectives it "became weird when she wanted (redacted) to watch and look up videos depicting scenes in which younger (redacted) have sexual relations with older females and Taylor wanted (redacted) to live (redacted) fantasy," according to the affidavit.
On September 14, 2021, IMG staff contacted the Manatee County Sheriff's Office's Crimes Against Children Unit to report the allegations about her unlawful behavior with an underage student. Detectives tried to arrest her at her home in Manatee County, but she was not there.
Anderson's employment at IMG was terminated on September 15, 2021, and she surrendered herself five days later after admitting to the sexual abuse. She was charged with sexual battery by custodial authority, traveling to meet a minor, and transmission of harmful material to a minor.
In 2016, Anderson was nominated for Teacher of the Year in Missouri and she is reportedly working on her second master's degree. IMG Academy released a press release stating, "We terminated Ms. Anderson's employment the following day," the statement continued. "Given there is an active law enforcement investigation, we are unable to share additional details at this time. Our focus is now on providing support for our student and his family."
Schools are educational institutions in which children can learn and develop skills in a nurturing environment. It is expected that they are safe from violence, bullying, harassment, and sexual abuse. Teachers 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 in which such a crime is committed must take responsibility for failing to properly screen potential teachers and protect their students.
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 other school employees, contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com for a free consultation.