Former Palmetto High teacher guilty of sexual battery on a student, 17, in his classroom
It took seven years to get Jason Meyers seated in a courtroom before a jury — but less than three hours for those four men and two women to find him guilty of a crime that could land him in prison for life.
An emotional three-day trial came to an end late Friday evening when Meyers, 47 and a former teacher at Miami Palmetto Senior High, was found guilty of three counts of statutory rape. Jurors determined he used his position of authority to have sex with a student when she was 17.
Meyers, who had denied the allegations, turned to face his wife, Kim, but betrayed little emotion after the verdict was read. Some family members and friends of his accuser burst into tears.
That former student, Heaven Rubin, decided to speak to media after the verdict and identify herself publicly. She said she hoped the decision would bring closure for other students she believes were also targeted.
“It’s really powerful. You know, the last seven years have been difficult. It’s consumed most of my life,” she said. ”And
I’m really grateful to close this chapter and I’m grateful to the jury for listening and accepting my truth.”
Meyer’s defense attorney, Brad Horenstein, said the legal fight would continue. “There will be an appeal,” he said.
The quick verdict concluded a trial that was delayed by years over legal wrangling and the pandemic. The verdict also came only 16 months after a federal jury awarded Rubin $6 million, saying Miami-Dade Public Schools was responsible for the crime because it ignored past warnings about other al