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UPDATED at 1:30 p.m. with statement from school principal to parents.
In a troubling incident, Oliver Fell, a 28-year-old Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher, surrendered to the Manatee County Jail on Monday night. She faces serious charges: lewd contact with a student, classified as a second-degree felony, and transmission of harmful material to a minor, classified as a third-degree felony, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
The situation came to light on March 3 when a school resource deputy learned from a male student at Haile Middle School that Fell had been in contact with him via Snapchat since December 2024.
ESE teachers specialize in educating children with disabilities requiring tailored instruction and support, as outlined by the Florida Department of Education. The 14-year-old student disclosed that Fell sent him an explicit photograph through Snapchat on January 2.
Once the school administration was informed about the allegations, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Unit launched an investigation. Detectives corroborated the student’s claim that he had multiple interactions with the teacher on social media.
Acting on a search warrant and with consent to access relevant data, detectives uncovered evidence suggesting that the communications had escalated to lewd conduct involving the student.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that the explicit image of a nude breast was indeed attributed to Fell. On May 12, further evidence was obtained from Snapchat, leading to the issuance of arrest warrants on Monday.
In a statement to parents, Haile Middle School’s principal, Irene Nikitopoulos, explained:
Haile Middle Parents, I am following up on a previous communication I sent about a staff member being investigated for alleged inappropriate posts on social media. The staff member, ESE Teacher Oliver Fell, turned herself into the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office last night and was subsequently arrested and charged with a second-degree felony and a third-degree felony. Both felonies relate to illegal social media communications with a student at our school.
As a media release from the Sheriffs’ Office outlines, the investigation took several weeks to confirm the allegations of illegal communications. Once law enforcement verified sufficient evidence, our school and district were notified, and Ms. Fell was promptly reassigned to a position away from our school where she had no contact with students. Our school and district will continue to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
If anyone has additional information pertaining to this case, please contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011.
The investigation is ongoing.
Key Information
- Teacher Involved: Oliver Fell, age 28
- Charges: Lewd contact with a student (2nd-degree felony), Transmission of harmful material to a minor (3rd-degree felony)
- School: Haile Middle School
- Victim: Male student, age 14
- Incident Report Date: Initial communication on March 3, explicit photo sent on January 2
- Investigation Agency: Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Unit
- School Principal’s Statement: Confirmed immediate action upon verification of allegations, reassignment of the teacher
- Contact for Information: Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011
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Article original publish date: 2025-06-03 07:00:00
Article source: www.mysuncoast.com
Read the full story at the original source: www.mysuncoast.com
