Ridgewood Students, Parents Stunned By Arrest Of Robotics Teacher

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL -- Just weeks after the Pasco County School District announced it was converting Ridgewood High School into a technical school specializing in robotics, among other programs, the school’s robotics teacher has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old female student.

Both students and parents are reeling from the news that teacher Sean Gallegos, 43, of Morden Blush Drive, Lutz, has been charged with two counts of sexual battery custodial authority after being accused of having sex with a teen girl twice in April (see related article).

Gallegos has been a robotics teacher at the school since August 2015. According to Pasco County Schools spokeswoman Linda Cobbe, he has been placed on administrative leave pending the school board's May 15 vote to suspend him without pay.

Ridgewood High Assistant Principal Erik Hermansen promptly sent a letter to parents announcing Gallegos’ arrest and reassuring them that it would not impact the school’s award-winning robotics program.

“This is stunning news to all of us, and I want to make it clear that his actions in no way reflect on the outstanding educators at Ridgewood High School,” Hermansen said. “Unfortunately, this involved one of our students. We are providing support to the student.”

He urged parents to contact him if they have any concerns “regarding any inappropriate behavior he exhibited.”

Parents reacted to the announcement with a combination of shock and horror.

“My daughter just told me about this. He is her robotics class,” said one parent in a Facebook post. “Sad ya can’t even trust teachers with our children. But my daughter never made or had a complaint about him.”

By all accounts, Gallegos was a popular teacher at the school. He had no record of disciplinary action and no previous arrest record in Pasco or Hillsborough counties.

He was arrested around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 2 at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex Park in Lutz and booked into the Hillsborough County jail where he is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail.

According to the sheriff’s office, Gallegos contacted a relative the night before, saying he was planning to harm himself.

The sheriff’s office said Gallegos’ alleged inappropriate conduct came to light when the 16-year-old student told the school resource officer about the relationship.

Image via Ridgewood High School