Coral Springs Teacher Arrested for Sexual Battery on Student

Joseph Michael Melendez, a 33-year-old teacher at Coral Springs Charter School, has been arrested on multiple felony charges including sexual battery and lewd and lascivious behavior for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student. The victim, now an adult, reported the abuse which occurred during his freshman and sophomore years while Melendez was his teacher and the advisor of the after-school American Sign Language club. Police arrested Melendez at the Northwest Regional Library after he admitted to the relationship and acknowledged the victim's age at the time. Coral Springs Charter School, operated by Charter Schools USA and governed by the Coral Springs City Commission, immediately terminated Melendez's employment upon learning of the arrest. Authorities continue to investigate and have requested anyone with relevant information to come forward. The case has drawn attention to issues of student safety and abuse of trust within educational settings.