- Brittiny Lopez-Murray, a 33-year-old drama teacher at Hialeah Middle School, was arrested in October 2021 and has admitted to having sex with a student
- Miami-Dade County Public Schools teacher had sex with a 14-year-old former student multiple times in her car
- Couple shared texts about their sexual relationship that was discovered when the student's father discovered nude photos of the teacher on his son's phone
A Florida drama teacher has admitted to having sex with an underage student in her car multiple times.
Brittiny Lopez-Murray, 33, taught at Hialeah Middle School in Miami-Dade County until her arrest in October 2021.
Authorities described a long-term relationship between her and the student. Every now and then she came to pick him up basketball practice before going to her car where the two would engage in sex acts.
She has now pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including lewd and lascivious sexual assault, molestation of a child and electronic transmission harmful to minors.
After her plea, she was sentenced to two years of community control and ten years of probation. She will also have to register as a sex offender.
Brittiny Lopez-Murray, a 33-year-old drama teacher at Hialeah Middle School, was arrested in October 2021 and has admitted to having sex with a student
Lopez-Murray had sex with a 14-year-old former student in her car several times. She is pictured during her arrest in October 2021
Lopez-Murray had taught at Hialeah Middle for four years prior to the incidents, had no prior disciplinary history and was named rookie teacher of the year in 2017.
Lopez-Murray and the student, who has since graduated and moved to high school in Miami-Dade, exchanged text messages about “how much they enjoyed having sex with each other.”
Even when school was out, she continued to contact the boy over the summer, texting the student to discuss “her feelings toward” him.
The pair met for dates such as coffee before going back to her car for sex, sometimes in a shopping center parking lot.
Lopez-Murray was seen clumsily entering the courtroom in Florida
Lopez-Murray, 33, had a bright future after being named Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2017
The relationship between the Hialeah Middle School teacher (pictured) and the former student began in August 2021
“The defendant also groomed, enticed and encouraged the victim to send child pornography images by writing things like 'perfect and delicious,' according to an arrest affidavit seen by NBC6.
Ultimately, the relationship was discovered after the boy's sister saw the several explicit texts and photos sent between him and the teacher.
The student's father also discovered nude photos of the teacher on his son's phone.
The Miami-Dade Public Schools board said it was “saddened and disappointed” by Lopez-Murray's actions.
“The district is taking great steps to ensure our students are educated in a safe learning environment,” the statement said.
“All employees receive training and are expected to adhere to the District's Ethical Conduct Standards Policy. It is unfortunate that despite our best efforts, the actions of some individuals conflict with the behavior expected of them.
The legal age of consent in the state of Florida is 18, which means that any person 17 years of age or younger in Florida is legally incapable of consenting to sexual activity.