A physical education teacher from Summerfield is sitting in the Marion County Jail without bond after a former elementary school student came forward and said he molested her when she was just 8 years old. Jeffery Farris was arrested Friday on one count of lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim under 12, and investigators say he may not have stopped with just one child.
According to WKMG, Farris worked as a physical education teacher at Saddlewood Elementary School in Ocala starting in 2014, and investigators say the alleged abuse happened sometime between that year and 2017, per the Marion County Sheriff's Office. The former student disclosed to a therapist that Farris sexually assaulted her when she was 8, according to the outlet's reporting. Per the arrest affidavit cited by WKMG, Farris allegedly groomed the girl by repeatedly singling her out for tasks and grabbing her hips in front of classmates before the alleged assault occurred in a gym equipment closet.
Investigators say the student told them Farris followed her into the equipment area and touched her private areas over her clothing as she bent down to retrieve equipment, according to WFTV. During an interview with detectives, Farris denied touching the student inappropriately, the station reported. He now faces a child molestation charge, per investigators, and is being held at the Marion County Jail without bond.
Detectives Say There May Be More Victims
Detectives believe there may be additional victims, according to the same WFTV report, and the agency is asking anyone with similar encounters to come forward. People with information or who believe they may be victims are encouraged to contact the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Marion County Public Schools said Farris was removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave on October 20, after the allegation surfaced, according to WESH. District leaders said Farris remains on administrative leave and that officials plan to fire him, though that action had not been completed, per a separate report from WCJB.
A 2017 Suspension Surfaces, But No Established Link
Marion County deputies also uncovered a separate 2017 incident involving Farris while investigating the current case. At the time, Farris worked as a wrestling coach at West Port High School and was suspended without pay and removed from that coaching position after admitting he shared a hotel room with a female student wrestler during a tournament trip to New Port Richey, resulting in a six-day suspension, according to WESH.
WCJB reported that no allegations of sexual contact were made in that 2017 matter and that Farris and the student slept in separate beds.
Florida's lewd or lascivious molestation statute, cited by the Florida Senate, describes intentionally touching specified body parts, or clothing covering them, in a lewd or lascivious manner involving a person under 16, among other prohibited conduct. The statutory language does not resolve or determine the facts of this particular case.
News outlets have offered conflicting ages for Farris: WESH reported he is 41, while WCJB and Uncovered Investigates reported he is 54. Anyone with information about the case or who believes they may have had a similar encounter with Farris is urged to reach out to the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
