A Miami teenager had only just enrolled at My Life My Power Alpha International Preparatory Academy when, her family says, the person hired to protect students became the threat. The family has filed a civil lawsuit alleging that a campus security guard sexually assaulted the newly enrolled student. According to the complaint, the guard began grooming the girl after she started classes in January, then arranged an off-campus meeting where the assault allegedly took place. The family’s attorneys say the teen is now in therapy and attending school online instead of returning to campus.
Lawyers Call It A 'Catastrophic Institutional Failure'
Law firm Leesfield & Partners announced it is representing the family and filed the complaint earlier this month. In a press release via Leesfield & Partners, attorneys Justin B. Shapiro and Bernardo Pimentel II said the case illustrates what they call “a catastrophic institutional failure to protect a vulnerable child.” The firm says the suit names 24-year-old Slyvester Lee James, a security guard who worked on campus, as the defendant.
Allegations Describe Grooming And An Off-Campus Meeting
As reported by Tampa Free Press, the complaint alleges James sent sexually charged text messages to the student and, on Feb. 8, 2026, confronted her about talking with a male classmate before asking to meet with her. The filing says the meeting took place outside her home, that James began touching her in his vehicle, and that he then coerced her into performing oral sex. Family members contacted police with what the student reported after she returned home.
Charges And How Florida Treats Offenses By Authority Figures
According to the firm’s filing, James was arrested in February on a charge of offenses against students by authority figures, initially classified as a second-degree felony. Prosecutors amended the charge in March to unlawful sexual activity with a specified minor by an authority figure, a first-degree felony. Florida law allows certain sexual offenses committed by authority figures to be reclassified; see Florida Statutes §800.101 and the reclassification statute at Florida Statutes §775.0862. Criminal proceedings in the case are ongoing.
Why The Case Resonates
Advocates say the allegations fit a broader pattern in which people in positions of trust target young people. According to RAINN, sexual violence remains widespread in the United States, and a substantial share of victims are children. Cases like this, they argue, underscore why schools and the companies they hire for on-site security are expected to maintain robust safeguards and clear reporting protocols.
What Happens Next
Tampa Free Press reports the student has not returned to the school’s campus and is taking classes online while receiving therapy and a recent diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. The family’s complaint seeks to hold the school and related parties responsible for what it describes as systemic failures. The civil case will move forward alongside the separate criminal matter, with court dates expected in the coming weeks.
