Former student recounts ‘uncomfortable’ encounter with teacher accused of sexual misconduct

LAKE MARY, Fla. — While a Lake Mary High School teacher’s arrest has rattled parents, it’s also provided validation for one former student.

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Channel 9 spoke exclusively with a woman who asked to be referred to only as Michelle G.

She said two decades before Richard Colon was arrested by Seminole County deputies, she had interactions with the teacher that left her feeling “uneasy and uncomfortable.”

Read: Lake Mary teacher accused of misconduct with student appears in court

Channel 9 previously shared that 55-year-old Richard Colon was arrested Thursday for the inappropriate relationship he had with a student.

According to Seminole County Public Schools, he had worked with the district for 29 years and was also an assistant coach for the high school girls’ soccer team.

But, on Thursday Seminole County Deputies arrested Colon at the school on charges of “using a computer to seduce, lure or entice a child” and “transmitting material harmful to minor.”

Read: Lake Mary High School teacher, assistant coach arrested over misconduct allegations

According to the arrest report, the inappropriate relationship started in July as Colon began having sexually explicit conversations with the student.

Deputies said Colon sent the student a pornographic image of himself and said the sexual conversations culminated on September 28th when investigators said the student visited Colon’s home in Sorrento for sexual activity.

At this time, Colon has not been charged with any crimes related to that encounter, but Seminole County deputies said the investigation is ongoing and Lake County Deputies have also opened an investigation related to the allegations.

As this news came to light, one of Colon’s former students said she broke down with the realization her concerns from decades ago were valid.

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Michelle G said she was pregnant and a student in Colon’s history class back in 2002.

She told Channel 9 Colon would often rub her back, shoulders, and thighs during class.

She recalled one encounter where Colon rubbed her thigh as he asked to take her home.

“I just felt very uneasy, uncomfortable. And everything I remember about him is he was very touchy-feely with almost everybody,” said Michelle.

Now grown, Michelle told us she wishes she could go back in time to report this.

“My feelings from 20-plus years ago have been validated. You have no idea how much that means to me and how much my older self wishes I could go back to save others,” said Michelle, “It’s the people that you trust the most that are doing this to the kids.”

Colon is being held at the Seminole County jail on an $80,000 bond.

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