A South Florida mother is speaking out after her 14-year-old daughter's high school physical education teacher was arrested for allegedly having sex with the teen.
Joseph Edward Tolliver was arrested early Wednesday on a charge of lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12 to 16 years old, an arrest report said.
Tolliver, 37, was a P.E. teacher at Campbell Drive K-8 Center in Homestead.
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
According to an arrest report, the teen girl said she and Tolliver, her P.E. coach, developed a personal relationship.
She said Tolliver visited her on several occasions and would enter through her bedroom window to avoid being seen by her mother, the report said.
On Feb. 4, the teen said she met Tolliver in the parking lot of her apartment complex where they had sex in his car, the report said.
Local
Following Tolliver's arrest, the teen's mother spoke out with a stern message to him.
"He knew what he was doing, he knew what he was doing the whole time," said the mother, who didn't want to be identified. "Shame on you because you knew my daughter, okay, you know she was a minor. You know that what you were doing was very wrong. And I hope you're paying for what you've done. You didn't think about your family. You didn't think about nobody. You only thought about yourself. You didn't think about my daughter. You didn't think about my family."
The mother said she was shocked when she first learned of the allegations.
"I thought she was safe at her school," she said. "I didn't think that this was going to happen in her own school. I thought she was going to be safe, but apparently she's not safe in her school."
In a statement Wednesday, Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials said they've initiated employment termination proceedings, and will ensure Tolliver won't be able to seek future employment with the district.
"We commend the Miami-Dade Police Department for their investigative work on this case, which occurred away from the school setting, and for bringing this individual to justice," the statement read. "Miami-Dade County Public Schools is profoundly disturbed by the abhorrent allegations made against this individual. This District goes to great lengths to promote a safe and secure learning environment and any actions that run contrary to that will not be tolerated."
The mother said the news has shocked her family.
"It hasn't really been easy for any of us here, I’m trying to cope with this as much as I can," she said. "I haven't been able to sleep very well. Haven't been able to eat."
Tolliver, a former football and track athlete at the University of Miami, was booked into jail and later released after posting bond.
The alleged victim's mother said she'll continue to demand justice.
"I need him to be, you know, held accountable for what he has done," she said. "Now I have to find a way for me and my child to be able to get some type of help for us. This is just too much for me to handle at the moment."
