# Teacher sexual misconduct cases in the United States

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/teacher-sexual-misconduct-cases-in-the-united-states
> Updated: 2026-08-29T20:00:00.000Z. Sources: 9. Developments: 2.

In August 2026, Heather Mashburn-Smith, a 37-year-old English teacher at Port Charlotte High School in Florida, was arrested and charged with a first-degree felony for unlawful sexual activity with a 17-year-old student. Following an investigation triggered by a tip on a parent-teacher communication app, Mashburn-Smith allegedly admitted to engaging in sexual encounters with the minor over several weeks. Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell stated that she “preyed on one of the people she was entrusted to protect.”

Later in the month, Mashburn-Smith was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual battery. In addition to her prison term, she was designated a sexual predator, ordered to serve 15 years of sexual offender probation, and prohibited from contacting the victim or their family. She must also surrender her teaching certificate.

## Claims

- Heather Marie Mashburn-Smith was sentenced to seven years in prison for sexual battery involving a student. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Mashburn-Smith engaged in sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old student on the Port Charlotte High School campus on two occasions. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Andrea Lee Campos-Hernandez was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for the sexual exploitation of a minor. (single source)
- Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a 10-year term of supervised release and $15,000 in special assessments on Campos-Hernandez. (single source)
- Campos-Hernandez pleaded guilty to producing child pornography involving a 13-year-old boy between February 2021 and July 2022. (single source)
- Judge Shannon H. McFee adjudicated Mashburn-Smith as a sexual predator and imposed 15 years of sexual offender probation. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-29: Former teachers sentenced for sexual exploitation of students

Former teachers Andrea Lee Campos-Hernandez and Heather Marie Mashburn-Smith have been sentenced to prison in Washington and Florida, respectively, for the sexual exploitation of students.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/former-teachers-sentenced-for-sexual-exploitation-of-students

### 2026-08-21: Florida teacher arrested for alleged sexual activity with student

Florida teacher Heather Mashburn-Smith faces a first-degree felony charge for allegedly having sexual encounters with a 17-year-old student in her classroom at Port Charlotte High School.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/florida-teacher-arrested-for-alleged-sexual-activity-with-student

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Cite as: Teacher sexual misconduct cases in the United States. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/teacher-sexual-misconduct-cases-in-the-united-states