Teacher could get 10-day suspension
7 at Miramar High said Karleef Kebreau gave them unwanted hugs
A Broward teacher accused of giving frequent improper hugs to female students now faces a longer suspension.
Superintendent Robert Runcie plans to ask the School Board on Tuesday to suspend Karleef Kebreau, a math teacher at Miramar High, for 10 days. That’s up from the one-day suspension Runcie recommended at the June 14 meeting.
The move came after School Board member Laurie Rich Levinson questioned the light punishment for a case she considered to be sexual harassment. Other board members agreed the case should be reviewed further.
Seven female students reported Kebreau gave them unwanted hugs, some of which were described as “full-frontal” and would last up to 30 seconds, according to a district complaint.
Students also accused Kebreau of flirting with female students and making inappropriate comments, such as asking one student, “How would you feel if I told you I wanted to be your boyfriend?” Other students said Kebreau referred to them as “my Haitian
queen” and “my African queen.”
The teacher denies the allegations, saying they originated from a student who was mad at him because she was in danger of failing. Kebreau, who couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel last month that he believes the student recruited friends to make similar allegations.
He said then he plans to fight the discipline. An administrative law judge will hear the case and rule whether the discipline was appropriate.
Anna Fusco, president of the Broward Teachers Union, said she doesn’t think Kebreau acted improperly with students. She said the district hasn’t produced any surveillance video to prove the events happened, despite several students saying they were being inappropriately hugged in hallways where cameras are prevalent.
“To go from a one-day to a 10-day suspension for the same report with no additional investigation, that’s just wrong,” she said. “This person has hugged, clapped up and high-fived his whole career. When students don’t get the grade they want and want out of his class, what better way than to make up this accusation? He’s not a perv. He’s not inappropriately touching students.”
Levinson, one of Runcie’s strongest supporters on the School Board, called for Kebreau to be fired at the June 14 meeting. She couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.
“We need zero-tolerance measures in our policies so these type of things aren’t able to happen,” Levinson said at the meeting. “We are about protecting our students, and when we have multiple students come forward about a teacher, we have to take it seriously. I’m for zero tolerance and termination.”
A Professional Standards Committee, made up of district administrators, recommended the oneday suspension and sexual harassment training. A report says Kebreau “admits to hugging students for support/nurturing, no malicious intent.” But the committee felt “no hugging/contact should be occurring as these are grown high school students.” He said last month he has already completed the sexual harassment training.
Students and teachers have questioned Kebreau’s behavior before. He was investigated in 2011 for recruiting female students to do modeling for his photography business. Kebreau told investigators he’d never been inappropriate with students and had their parents’ permission to take photos. He was given a reprimand.