A 15-year-old student's handwritten note set off a criminal investigation at Renaissance Charter School in West Palm Beach, ending with the arrest of teacher Robert Rivernider on Monday. School staff put Rivernider on administrative leave as deputies opened a case.
Deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office went to the campus after staff reported that the student had turned in a note describing intimate hugs and touching on her waist, hands and rear, according to CBS12. Investigators later followed up with the student at her home, where she told them the interactions with Rivernider began in January and escalated in late April. School officials sent him home after receiving the report.
Rivernider denied making inappropriate comments or intentionally touching the student's buttocks, telling deputies that "hands can end up in various positions during a hug," according to CBS12. The outlet reports he was in his second year at the school and was booked on counts listed in court records as lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor and battery, identified as "touch or strike."
Legal context
Florida law treats lewd or lascivious offenses against minors as a serious category; Section 800.04 defines lewd or lascivious acts and sets out penalties tied to a victim's age and the nature of the conduct, according to Florida Statutes. If prosecutors pursue charges and a conviction follows, sentencing can include prison time and other long-term consequences such as sex-offender registration.
What’s next
Investigators say the inquiry remains active and that the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office will continue its review. The school has not released additional public statements beyond placing Rivernider on leave.
