Students say teacher viewed explicit video

Two videos show educator looking down while noises resembling a sexual nature were heard

“When school leaders were made aware of the alleged teacher misconduct during a virtual class, they took immediate action and began to look into allegations and follow proper protocols prior to social media posts.”

A virtual high school class was interrupted last week by the sound of a woman screaming in ecstasy on a video, leading Broward Schools to investigate whether the teacher was watching sexually explicit material.

Students and former students at South Broward High in Hollywood accused Michael Braeseke of watching an explicit video Friday during a virtual class called Global Perspectives & Research, which is part of the college-level Cambridge International program at the school.

Two videos, widely circulated on Twitter, show Braeseke looking down without a clear reaction while the sounds are heard. He could not be reached for comment, despite attempts on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The sound matches a video on Twitter that depicts a woman who purports to have an orgasm while getting a body piercing. Elijah Ruby, a former South Broward student who first shared the video Monday, said a friend discovered the video after using a program that performs audio searches.

Ruby posted a widely shared tweet Monday night asking why

Statement from the office of Chief Communications Officer Kathy Koch

Braeseke was allowed to watch a sexually explicit video during class. He tagged principal Patricia Brown, who responded that she was taking the matter seriously.

“My students’ welfare is always of the utmost importance & always will be. As a survivor myself, I would never ignore concerns expressed,” she wrote. ‘Social media is not the best medium to address issues of this importance. Please encourage others to email/ call me. They

ARE loved & valued!”

The district’s Special Investigative Unit, which handles employee investigations, is now reviewing the case, according to a statement from the office of Chief Communications Officer Kathy Koch.

“When school leaders were made aware of the alleged teacher misconduct during a virtual class, they took immediate action and began to look into allegations and follow proper protocols prior to social media posts,” the office wrote. “The district and school administration remain committed to the safety and emotional well-being of students.”

Koch’s office said Braeseke has not been reassigned, but he was not teaching students this week due to midterms.

“Proctors have been assigned to monitor testing — including this teacher’s class,” the office wrote.

Braeseke, 53, has worked for the district for 20 yeas. He makes about $56,000 a year.

The rise of virtual classes has led to an increase of inappropriate material making its way into classes. In September, a class at McArthur High in Hollywood was videobombed by an image of a female performing oral sex on a man.

In August, a masked man joined an online class at West Broward High School in Pembroke Pines 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 in Coral Springs.