14 DAY TRIAL // You would think that students can trust their teachers and ask for their help whenever they need, but it seems that in some cases this intuitive rule does not apply, as the incident presented in this article will prove.
A Florida high school gym teacher and football coach has been arrested and charged with one count of grand theft and one count of burglary after students repeatedly reported thefts within their lockers.
Police detained physical education teacher Rodney Barnes at New Smyrna Beach High School on Monday, the New York Daily News informs. Volusia County sheriff's office launched “Operation Sticky Fingers” in late April after several students at the high school reported that they noticed cash was disappearing from their wallets in the boys' locker room.
Because cameras couldn't be installed inside the locker room, deputies used an ultraviolet theft detection kit to catch the 43-year-old teacher, from Ormond Beach. They sprinkled invisible luminescent powder over decoy money and put the bills into a student's wallet.
After some of the cash was taken, officials searched students for traces of the powder. Lights were turned off in the hallway and students had their hands checked. But not the students, but the teacher was the culprit. He was reportedly caught after a UV light revealed powder on both of his hands.
“The result was a plainly visible yellowish-green fluorescent glow on both of his hands,” the sheriff's department stated.
Barnes admitted taking $50 (€36.6) from the wallet and confessed to several other thefts. The sheriff's office said nine students lost a total of $950 (€695), but the numbers might increase as the investigation continues.
As it turns out, the thief had a personal strategy: he would take only half of the money he found in his students' wallets, and he never stole electronics, like phones, tablets or iPods.
Barnes was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Bach on a $3,000 (€2,194) bond, and accused of burglary and grand theft. He reportedly bonded out of jail on Tuesday night.
After his arrest, the teacher submitted a letter of resignation. The Florida Department of Education will determine if he will lose his teacher certification.
According to My News 13, Volusia County Schools issued a statement on Tuesday saying, “Mr. Barnes has been instructed by administration to not return to the school until he has met with the Professional Standards office and disciplinary action has been determined.”