MIAMI (WSVN) - A former teacher was back in court, facing his accuser years after he was arrested for betraying the trust of his students.
“It’s impacted every day of my life for the last, nearly seven years, and it’s been difficult,” said the alleged victim.
A woman continued her emotional testimony Thursday, accusing her former high school teacher of sexually abusing her when she was a student.
The victim described why she decided to speak out about the incident in a Miami courtroom.
“When everything’s going on, yes, there were things that were wrong and they were inappropriate, and I knew that, but I thought that we were friends. I thought that he cared, and we were sharing things about our lives with each other, so it was really hard for me to balance like what that looks like and how to dissect it,” she said, “and after, over the course of time, I really questioned how much of anything he said was authentic to get to know me, to grow a friendship with me, and how much of that was because he had a plan.”
Jason Meyers is charged with three counts of engaging in sex with a minor.
He taught at Miami Palmetto Senior High and was arrested in 2016.
Another former student of Meyers also took the stand.
She said Meyers had sexual conversations with her.
“We’re friends, but that this friend told me that he was really attracted to me and wanted to have sex with me and wanted to kiss me,” she said, “and so the conversations would go into sexual topics or he’d ask about my sex life or tell me about his or even tell me about dreams he’d had about me”
She also said he kissed her on separate occasions.
“Kisses me again,” she said, “and he sort of spreads my legs open so he can stand between them and is kissing me and kissing me and then puts his hand up my shirt but not on my bra, just over my shirt, and that was longer than the first incident, but at that point I was like, ‘Oh, my God.'”
Jurors also heard testimony from the victim’s former best friend.
She said the two spoke about the victim’s relationship with Meyers.
“After a couple minutes of driving around, she tells me that they kissed, and I don’t think I said anything, I just looked at her because I was so overwhelmed because, it was so unexpected,” she said.
She said she eventually told a school police officer.
A Miami-Dade Schools detective testified that he met with the victim in the school resource office and told her there were possibly other victims.
“As she walked in, she seemed startled and her eyes watered,” the officer said. “So I told her everything was gonna be OK, that I was there to help her and I was investigating a situation at the school.”
The defense argued that there is no evidence in the case, including specific dates of when the crimes occurred.
“Because an allegation was made, you believed it,” said a defense attorney. “You had him arrested. No investigation.”
“The investigation was that day,” the officer said.
“The investigation was, believe what was said,” the defense attorney said.
“Yes,” the officer said.
“No further investigation,” the attorney said.
The state has rested it’s case, and Meyer’s trial continues Friday at 10:30 a.m.
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