Palm Beach County schools seek hiring ban against 2 former staffers

• The school district is also facing a lawsuit from one of the victims, alleging administrators failed to prevent the abuse.

The Palm Beach County School Board voted to ask the state ban two more former employees after they were convicted of or pleaded guilty to committing crimes against children.

It was at least the fourth time in the past two months the board took such an action. In September, the board voted to have a former teacher and a former band assistant put on the state's list of people who are barred from working at a public school after both men pleaded guilty to crimes against children in separate cases.

On Oct. 14, board members voted to recommend bans for Christopher Withers, a former math teacher at Duncan Middle School in Palm Beach Gardens, and for Ruben Tirado, a part-time assistant football coach at Seminole Ridge High in Loxahatchee.

Sean Cooley, chief of communications for the Palm Beach County School District, said the actions of the two men "should not overshadow the daily work of a team made up of 12,000 educators and 10,000 staff members, whose dedication has helped make the district an “A” rated school district and the most trusted educational choice for families throughout our community."

Withers, 33, was arrested in March 2025 and charged with 15 counts of lewd/lascivious battery of a victim aged 12 to 16 and one count of obscene material/use of a child in a sexual performance. He was fired the following month and pleaded guilty to all charges on Sept. 14, 2026.

As he was about to be sentenced, Withers offered what he described as "a partial explanation" for the abuse, which occurred from April 2021 through April 2023, district documents show.

"I'm sure many people are wondering," he said, "how did I get to this point?"

He then gave a 10-minute description detailing how the end of a long-term relationship with a woman led to him abusing a 14-year old girl whom he said was "among the few who could see that I was struggling with things outside of teaching, and she befriended me."

Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge James Nutt was unmoved, telling Withers he "should be able to handle breakups without turning towards children." Nutt then sentenced Withers to 10 years in prison.

Withers' sentence is not the end of the case for the Palm Beach County School District. His victim sued him and the school board in January, alleging that district administrators and employees "had multiple opportunities to investigate, prevent and report" the abuse.

The school board hires and fires the superintendent, who oversees the day-to-day operation of the district.

The lawsuit, which the girl had filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court as Jane Doe, claims Withers kept a picture of himself and the girl on his desk "where other teachers and administrators knew of and/or saw the photograph on his desk."

The suit also alleges that at least one teacher reported Withers' abuse of the girl but the school board "failed to act upon said report and save Jane Doe from further sexual assault."

Court documents show the school board denied many of the allegations against it laid out in the girl's suit and notes that some of the claims extend beyond the statute of limitations. Documents from June indicate the girl's attorneys have offered to settle the case, though no monetary amount was mentioned.

Tirado, 21, was arrested on Nov. 11, 2025, and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery involving a victim between the ages of 12 and 16 and a count of soliciting a student to engage in sexual conduct while in a position of authority.

Court records show that a dean at Seminole Ridge received an anonymous tip that a girl and a coach had been seen kissing on campus. The dean reviewed security-camera footage and found multiple clips of Tirado and the student meeting in a first-floor hallway after school, looking over their shoulder at times to make sure they were alone.

Prosecutors said the footage showed Tirado kissing the girl, fondling her and, in two instances, exposing himself and assaulting her orally.

Tirado's temporary employment with the district was terminated the day of his arrest, and he pleaded guilty to all counts on Aug. 31, 2026.

The age of consent in Florida is 18. Tirado's defense attorney said the girl was 14 and Tirado was 19 at the time of the abuse.

The girl's father spoke on behalf of Tirado as he was about to be sentenced.

"He made a mistake, yes, but he's not a monster," he said. "He's not a rapist. He's not a sex offender. He fell in love with the wrong person. That's all."

Circuit Judge Sherri Collins didn't see it that way, sentencing Tirado to two years in prison.

"You were in a position of trust in a school," the judge told Tirado. "The fact that you chose to engage in sexual acts with an underage child in the school is very concerning."

Tirado and Withers are both listed on the state's sex offender registry.

The state Department of Education has a list of list of crimes that would warrant an automatic ban from working in a public school or a private school that accepts taxpayer-funded vouchers once a district reports an employee has been convicted or pleaded guilty to one of them. Sex offenses are among those that bring an automatic ban.

"The safety and well-being of our students is the highest priority for the School District of Palm Beach County," Cooley said. "The district holds all employees to the highest ethical and professional standards, and any individual who violates the standards of the proper relationship between educator and student is subject to the most severe consequences as outlined in our employee code of ethics."

Cooley also spelled out the steps Florida schools districts must take before hiring teachers and staff.

"Under Florida law, all district employees must successfully complete Level 2 background screenings and meet state requirements for employment eligibility," he said. "When employees are found to have engaged in disqualifying conduct, the district takes immediate action to remove them from access to students and schools. We also report misconduct to the Florida Department of Education so the agency can determine their eligibility for educator certification."

Staff reporter Hannah Phillips contributed to this report.

Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education and Riviera Beach development for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support our work; subscribe today.