Port Charlotte mom pushes for better notice after teacher arrest

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (WINK)—Some parents at Port Charlotte High School feel they were not properly notified after one of the school's teachers was arrested for allegedly having sex with a former student in her classroom.

"We didn't get a text; we didn't get a call. And the crazy thing is, the teacher is my daughter's actual teacher," said Dia Saphyr, a Port Charlotte High School parent. 

A spokesperson for the Charlotte County School District told WINK News parents with students who had direct contact with 37-year-old Heather Mashburn-Smith got an email moments after the arrest. 

It's been two days since Mashburn-Smith was walked out of the school in handcuffs. The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office says the English teacher is accused of having sex with one of her former students, a 17-year-old boy, twice inside her classroom within the last month.

"If my daughter never told me, or she was not in that class, we probably would have never known," said Saphyr.

The Port Charlotte mom says her 10th-grade daughter was overwhelmed after learning her English teacher was arrested for allegedly having sex with another student. The teacher's arrest report says the sexual activity happened on and around desks inside her English classroom, where students like Saphyr's daughter sit every day.

"[My daughter] is kind of stressful and worried and asking questions and saying, Hey, maybe I shouldn't go to school today," Saphyr said.

Port Charlotte resident Sue Halufska called the allegations against Mashburn-Smith appalling.

"It's disgusting," Halufska said. "I was just appalled to hear that a teacher would do that with a student, especially in the classroom."

After meeting with the school's principal Friday, Saphyr said the school has been actively addressing her daughter's classroom space, such as doing a deep clean of the room and taking down the teacher's decorations. 

"She's more comfortable now because everything is down, everything is sanitized. I think that was more of her worry is that 'I have to sit in the room that all this stuff is happening,'" Saphyr said.

The school district also told WINK News a well-known long-term substitute is now teaching the class and mental health services are available for students on campus.

"I'm just happy they're taking care of it and doing the right steps. I just want the school to do better with contacting the parents. That's all," Saphyr said.

The Charlotte County School District sent a statement about Mashburn-Smith's arrest from their superintendent to WINK News Wednesday night. 

Mark Vianello, superintendent of Charlotte County Public Schools, stated, "The actions of this individual are a direct violation of the duty every educator owes to students and families. We will not tolerate anything that compromises student safety. This individual has been placed on administrative leave as we work closely with law enforcement and pursue full accountability. Our focus remains on protecting our students and responding decisively."

Mashburn-Smith sits in the Charlotte County Jail with no bond. She is expected back in court on Monday for a pretrial detention hearing.