TEMPLE TERRACE - Just two years out of college and into her job as a reading teacher, Debra Beasley Lafave was arrested Monday. The Greco Middle School teacher was charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts on or in the presence of a 14-year-old.
After hearing the news, the Hillsborough County School Board wasted no time acting; a letter was delivered to Lafave in jail Monday -- which she declined to sign -- instructing her not to report to school.
With school on hiatus for the summer, Lafave was not expected in anyway, but the school board may not keep her around for next year either.
"At the July 13 regular school board meeting, that would be the earliest opportunity for a recommendation for a suspension without pay," schools spokeswoman Linda Cobb stated, indicating the board would seek that course of action.
No one answered the door at Lafave's Riverview address, but one of the neighbors had plenty to say about the arrest.
"I think it's a disgrace. We're having this problem because we can't pay our teachers enough to get the quality teachers that we need. So we're taking the bottom of the barrel, and that's what you get for being cheap," James Morrison said.
Temple Terrace police would not say if the alleged victim in the case was a student of Lafave's, electing to keep the teen anonymous out of concern over his safety.
-------------------------------------------------
I know this is wrong and all......but if you were 14 again you know you have hit it too.