A routine class day took a disturbing turn when three female students reported that a substitute teacher’s behavior made them feel unsafe and uncomfortable.
The students told an administrator that the teacher was staring at them in a way that raised red flags, including licking his lips while watching girls in the classroom. One student said she saw a camera app open on his phone and believed he was secretly taking photos of female students. She said that once he noticed her looking, he suddenly put the phone down and began acting “suspicious.”
The girls immediately went to the office to report the incident — and they were taken seriously.
This happened within the South Point Local School District, where a school resource officer was called to respond. The students wrote statements describing what happened, which were forwarded to officials and documented in a report.
Swift Action for Student Safety
School leadership removed the substitute teacher from the district’s approved list, saying the step was taken out of an abundance of caution while the incident is reviewed further.
No direct contact was made with the substitute during the initial response, but officials said making a record of the incident was necessary to ensure the protection of students.
Why Quick Reporting Matters
School safety experts say that even when no law has been broken yet, recognizing and acting on warning signs can prevent a situation from escalating:
📌 Noticing unusual and inappropriate behavior
📌 Trusting students when they say something feels wrong
📌 Documenting concerns and removing potential risks fast
For young teens especially, instincts are often the first alarm — and these students did the right thing by speaking up.
What Parents Should Do
✔ Encourage kids to speak up if a teacher or adult makes them uncomfortable
✔ Remind them that reporting is not tattling — it’s protecting themselves and others
✔ Ask questions about substitute experiences, not just academic ones
✔ Reinforce that they can always talk to a trusted adult