A pregnant teacher from John I. Smith K-8 Center in Doral has been arrested following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old male student. Heiry Calvi, 41, is facing multiple charges after an investigation that began with a referral from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in March.
According to the Doral Police Department, the referral prompted an immediate response from John I. Smith K-8 Center. School authorities removed Calvi from her classroom duties and reassigned her to administrative tasks where she had no direct contact with students, pending the outcome of the investigation.
The charges against Calvi are serious, including offenses against students by an authority figure, child neglect without great bodily harm, and possession of a firearm on school property. The firearm charge stems from an incident on October 8, when police conducted a traffic stop and discovered a Glock 43 9mm handgun in her vehicle. The police report states the weapon was loaded, with a round in the chamber.
Calvi reportedly told officers that the gun belonged to her husband and was routinely kept in the vehicle. At the time of the traffic stop, she was working at the Miami-Dade Schools Northeast Transportation center, which led to the charge of possessing a firearm on Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) property.
Investigators also interviewed the 15-year-old student, who stated that all sexual encounters with Calvi were consensual. Despite this, Calvi is also charged with Lewd and Lascivious Battery, among other charges filed by the Doral Police Department. Authorities indicated that the victim possessed photos, videos, and even Calvi’s credit card, suggesting a deeper level of involvement.
“She would tutor him at his house. We don’t have proof of what went on inside the home,” stated Rey Valdez, Public Information Officer for the Doral Police Department, highlighting the complexities of the case. “This is not what a teacher does,” Valdez added, underscoring the breach of professional conduct expected of educators.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools issued a public statement addressing the arrest and the actions taken by the district: “Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is disturbed by today’s arrest involving inappropriate employee behavior. When the District was apprised of these allegations in March, the employee was immediately reassigned to a non-school site location. The District will begin employment termination proceedings and will ensure the individual is prevented from seeking future employment with this school system. M-DCPS will continue to review its employee trainings to ensure that our workforce is fully aware of the District’s professional expectations of them and their ethical obligation to safeguard children.”
This case involving a teacher from John I. Smith K-8 Center is part of a troubling trend in South Florida, as Calvi is the third teacher in the region to face similar charges this week. The report mentions two other cases: Brittiny Lopez-Murray, a teacher from Hialeah Middle School, arrested for having sexual encounters with a 14-year-old former student, and Daniel Fernandez, a teacher at Renaissance Middle Charter School in Doral, arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. These incidents collectively raise serious concerns about student safety and professional ethics within the education system.
