Parkland Coach Was Accused of Sexually Harassing Students

Including shooting victim Meadow Pollack, months before the Feb. 14 massacre
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 15, 2018 12:00 PM CDT
Parkland Coach Was Accused of Sexually Harassing Students
In this Feb. 14, 2018, frame from surveillance video, Andrew Medina, center, is interviewed by detectives following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.   (Broward Sheriff's Office via AP)

A security monitor at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has been slammed for not confronting the shooter on Feb. 14. Now the Sun Sentinel reports that 39-year-old Andrew Medina received a three-day suspension last fall after accusations that he sexually harassed two female students—including Meadow Pollack, who died in the shooting at age 18. Per a school district investigation report, Medina asked one teen where she worked and said he'd come by there so they could "flirt"; the report says he also offered to take her out for drinks but said they had to be "low-key." In the case of the second student, she alleged Medina would look her up and down and say, "Damn, Mami" and had told her she was "fine as f---." Both students started taking different routes to class to avoid him, the report notes.

Meadow's brother, Hunter Pollack, tells BuzzFeed his sister had told her boyfriend about Medina's overtures, which she said included nicknames like "gorgeous" and "sweetie"; the boyfriend was allegedly threatened by Medina when he approached him about the behavior. Medina has denied the allegations, though he does say he got a "little friendly" with one of the students, per notes out of the district disciplinary committee looking into the matter. The committee found probable cause to charge Medina with inappropriate behavior and recommended terminating him on Oct. 4, but a handwritten note (author unclear) on the report said: "Discipline should not be termination but instead a three-day suspension." That directive was carried out. Medina still works for the district, but not at the high school. (More Parkland school shooting stories.)

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