A North Miami Beach high school band teacher is on house arrest after police say he crossed serious lines with multiple students, in a case that has rattled Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High and raised fresh questions about boundaries in the classroom.
Arrest and Court Records
According to NBC 6 South Florida, 40-year-old Jose Francisco Montes-Guedez was arrested Friday on two counts of offenses against students by authority figures, two counts of battery, touch or strike, and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child. Court records show he was booked into the Miami-Dade jail before appearing in bond court, where a judge set bail at $16,000, ordered house arrest, and signed a stay-away order covering the three alleged victims.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge David H. Young did not mince words in court, saying, “These allegations are pretty serious, I think he’s gonna end up in divorce court, that’s just my reading of this,” according to the station’s report.
Investigators say the criminal probe began in November 2025 after an altercation in his band room at the end of the 2024–25 school year.
School Context
Montes-Guedez is listed as a band teacher at Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High Biscayne Bay Campus. The school’s website places the campus at 2601 NE 151st St and highlights counseling and student-support services available to teens, according to Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High's website. The campus serves students from North Miami Beach and surrounding neighborhoods.
Allegations and the Teacher’s Statements
NBC 6 South Florida reports that one student told detectives she was 16 and close to 17 when Montes-Guedez gave her vape pens and, on one occasion, asked for a kiss in exchange for one of them. Another student, who was 17, said he grabbed her by the waist in his office after telling her to wait there for something he said he had to give her.
A third student told investigators he bought her food and let her hang out in his classroom when she skipped class, according to the station’s account of the arrest report.
The arrest report also says Montes-Guedez told detectives he “provided a safe space” for the girls. He allegedly admitted holding onto confiscated vape pens for a time, which students later took from his bookbag, and acknowledged touching one student’s shoulder and apologizing when she said it made her uncomfortable.
What the Law Says
Under Florida law, “offenses against students by authority figures” is a specific crime that makes it illegal for authority figures to solicit or engage in sexual or romantic conduct with students. It is classified as a second-degree felony. The full language and penalties are laid out in the Florida Statutes.
Context and Resources
Allegations involving school employees have surfaced across Florida in recent months, putting added pressure on districts over how they handle suspected misconduct. Outlets including ClickOrlando and WSVN have recently reported similar criminal cases at schools in other parts of the state.
Florida law requires suspected child abuse to be reported promptly to the state’s abuse hotline. The Florida Abuse Hotline can be reached at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873), and reports can also be filed online through the Florida Department of Children and Families.
The case against Montes-Guedez remains pending in Miami-Dade courts as investigators and prosecutors review the arrest report. This story will be updated if the school or the State Attorney’s Office releases additional information.
