Southwest Miami-Dade teacher arrested by school police for misconduct

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. A social studies teacher at Southwest Miami-Dade High School is accused of having a romantic relationship with a student, which led to his arrest and dismissal by the school district.

Police in Miami-Dade schools have arrested Rafael Birriel, 39, a teacher at Coral Reef Senior High School, after an investigation into misconduct involving a student.

The school district said Birriel had no other problems during his 13-year service at Miami-Dade Public Schools.

The indictment was filed against Birriel by March last year when the victim told police that she had been involved with the teacher for a period of a year and that it had ‘physically affected her on one occasion’. The age of the victim is not identified in the arrest report.

The victim told police that most of the conversations she had with the teacher were through the messaging program Discord.

The police were able to obtain copies of the conversations the two were engaged in. Through the messages, Birriel tried to persuade the girl to send erotic, naked and racial photos of herself. A conversation also tells of a meeting at school in which Birriel kisses the student and grabs her buttocks over her clothes after he kisses her.

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Over the course of the year, police said Birriel told the girl he liked her, as well as his sexual attraction and intentions towards her.

The school district sent a statement to Local 10 News about the allegations.

‘This is a serious matter that is not taken lightly. Once the allegations were reported, the employee was removed from the school and M-DSPD launched an investigation. As a result of the arrest, the individual’s service will be terminated and he will be prevented from seeking future employment at the district. ”

Birriel was arrested Monday and bound from jail. He is awaiting trial, where he is on trial for two crimes due to crimes against a student by a government figure and for prohibited computer use.