Virtual class videobombed with sex act

High school investigating intrusion into online environmental science lesson

A Broward high school is investigating how an online science class got videobombed by a live sex act.

Thierry “Ted” Victor was teaching environmental science at McArthur High in Hollywood the afternoon of Sept. 2 when he saw disturbing live video, he told school administrators in a letter obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Inside one of the boxes of the Microsoft Teams videoconferencing session, he saw a young female give oral sex to a male.

“For the first few seconds, I did not recognize what I was looking at. I was frozen with fear, anger, disillusionment, confusion, and a broken spirit, all at once,” Victor wrote. “The class became chaotic in no time. Audible, yet semi-unintelligible, collages of laughter, profanities, along with several students pleading for this virtual assault to stop, caused sheer panic.”

Victor wrote that he was so taken aback by the incident that he ended his class early. He didn’t know the girl on the screen, but a student in his class identified her as a Broward County student, his letter states. He told administrators he believes two male students in his class shared the link that allowed an outsider to get into the Teams meeting.

The letter doesn’t say how many students viewed the live video. High school science classes typically have about 20 to 25 students in them.

Reached by the Sun Sentinel, Victor declined to comment.

Virtual intrusions have become common in schools nationwide as the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to go online.

At least two other Broward County classes have been hijacked since the school year started Aug. 19. A masked man joined an online class at West Broward High School during the first week of classes and went on a disturbing, racist video rant. A few days later, another intruder posted obscene language in a fifth grade virtual class at Parkside Elementary School.

In the McArthur incident, school administrators immediately reported it to the district’s Information Technology department and its Special Investigative Unit, according to a statement from the office of Chief Communications Officer Kathy Koch. Investigators determined it was not the result of hacking, although the statement didn’t elaborate how the person may have gotten into the class.

“The school’s leadership continues to investigate the matter to identify those involved and is reviewing security protocols to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future,” the statement said. “Any student who displays inappropriate material or behavior is subject to disciplinary consequences.”

Victor complained in his letter that the students involved have yet to be disciplined. Administrators have not removed the students from his class who he believes shared the Teams link with an intruder, he wrote.

“Where is the consideration for us teachers? Is this leadership?” he asked. “Pornography, especially child pornography, is a threat to our institution.”