John Leighton profiled on fight against teacher sex assault on TV news

Following the $49.3 million verdict obtained by John Leighton and Max Panoff for a student raped by a Miami Dade County Public School teacher, news coverage focused on the preventability of these tragedies. News coverage included interviews with Mr. Leighton about how the Miami Dade School Board could allow this problem to continue.

In the case which resulted in a $49.3 million verdict November 14, 2017, the teacher who raped Leighton’s client had previously been identified as making improper contact with a young female student by the same school district where he committed this rape.  Another teacher in Miami Dade Schools is also now being prosecuted for the same kind of behavior.  ABC affiliate Local 10 WPLG’s veteran investigative reporter, Glenna Milberg, has been investigating why and how these sexual abuses continue in this school system.

Leighton Panoff Law’s client, C.R.R., was a 10th grade student when her geometry teacher, Bresnniel Jansen, began an inappropriate relationship with her.  He started by texting her, having her stay after class, and texting her nude photos of himself.  It escalated to him closing and locking the classroom door and forcing her to perform oral sex on him, and ultimately taking her virginity on his classroom desk during school hours.  Jansen was discovered and arrested, and he pleaded guilty to several felony counts.  He was placed on 10 years of reporting probating with conditions and designated a sex offender for life.  He violated his probation and was incarcerated for several months but has since been released.

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