Teacher Smackdown

In Clewiston, Florida, teacher Jeffrey Scott Holsclaw, 49, was arrested for seeking sex from a person he thought was a 15-year-old girl. He faces charges of procuring prostitution of a minor, sex offenses on a victim between the ages of 12 to 15-years-old, and obscene communication on a computer to seduce or solicit a minor.

Via Craigslist, an undercover officer connected online with Holsclaw at 10:30 a.m. when Holsclaw was at work at Clewiston Middle School. The police report says that Holsclaw was looking for “GFE.” This is a code that mean a “girlfriend experience.” Holsclaw told the decoy he did not want to rush the session. He also wanted oral sex and agreed to pay $150, but then increased the amount to $250 so he would not have to wear a condom. (Geez, $100 more for a STD - no thanks!)

The “girl” and Holsclaw arranged to meet later that night at an apartment, where he was arrested by police. If convicted, he could be sentenced to 15 years in prison per felonies. (He is charged with three.)

After his arrest, police searched his house and found dolls, stuffed animals, pictures of children, and cartoons. Eeeeeeeewwwwww. What a perv!

Even more upsetting that he was soliciting underage girls while he was at work is that Holsclaw is a former Bexley, Ohio drama teacher who resigned last year after he was accused of soliciting a prostitute.

So how did a get a job teaching in Florida? Easy! He was allowed to resign before the district could fire him for moral turpitude, even though they began the process. He resigned “for personal reasons” seven days after he was arrested in Westerville, Ohio and accused of twice bringing home a prostitute for sex. On top of that, the Ohio Department of Education investigated but did not reprimand Holsclaw. (Wonder why? Maybe they just don’t give a shit about our kids?)

Also, the records of Holsclaw’s arrest in Westerville mysteriously vanished, and police officials could not explain why. So it is unknown what happened to his arrest for the soliciting charge. The Westerville Police Department said that Holsclaw’s record was expunged.

On top of this, the Florida school district really screwed up. They never called the Bexley school district for a reference. The school superintendent claims he would have told them the facts. Even so, Florida state and local educators cleared Holsclaw to teach, despite knowing about his Ohio arrest from a background check. According to the Hendry County superintendent, Holsclaw reported his arrest in his employment application. Still he didn’t think it was serious enough and greenlighted his job application.

Geez, what do you have to do NOT to get a teaching job there? Murder someone?!?

Parent Gail Schultz, whose 13-year-old daughter had weekly drama lessons with Holsclaw in Florida, is crusading for national protections to stop teachers with questionable histories from getting teaching licenses in other states. Good for her!