On April 8th, 2024, Miami-Dade police arrested 50-year-old Martin Zaretsky, an IT employee at Bob Graham K-8 Educational Center in Miami Lakes. Zaretsky was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on seven counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child and seven counts of offenses against students by an authority figure.
According to media reports, students had complained about Zaretsky's behavior as early as 2014. Zaretsky was accused of trying to engage in a sexual relationship with several female students. He would reportedly befriend female students, including sending text messages to multiple students to gain their trust. Zaretsky is accused of aiding students in skipping class, upon which they would walk together, often to his office where he would give the victims candy. Zaretsky would also often walk them to the school parking lot. During these walks, Zaretsky would caress female students' breasts and buttocks over their clothing against their will and make inappropriate sexual comments to them.
Shortly after Zaretsky's arrest, the Miami-Dade School District stated that they would be terminating Zaretsky's employment.
Zaretsky died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 15, 2024 just days after his arrest.
The law generally requires school employees and officials to exercise the same level of care in the supervision of children as a reasonable parent would, but it is an unfortunate reality that schools often fail at this responsibility and children fall prey to sexual predators. Rarely is a student molested in school without reasonable opportunities for the school to have prevented it. Sexual predators like teachers, school employees and coaches know they have time and opportunity to "groom" their victims, to slowly gain their trust, before the sexual contact occurs, almost as if part of a natural progression of events in the unsuspecting child's life. Abuse in schools can occur at any age, from pre-kindergarten through college.
If you or your child suffered sexual abuse at a school or university, you are not alone. Do not feel afraid to reach out to Horowitz Law for legal help. Contact us for a free, confidential initial consultation and we can explore your rights and options. Call 954-641-2100 or send us an email today.