CHESAPEAKE
A Virginia Beach middle school teacher has been fired after admitting he inappropriately touched a 13-year-old girl at his Chesapeake home.
Michael Patrick Harris, 31, will be sentenced Friday in Chesapeake Circuit Court on one felony count of indecent liberties with a custodial minor.
Harris was a health and physical education teacher at Landstown Middle School at the time of the offense in December 2006. He previously taught at Princess Anne and Lynnhaven middle schools, said Nancy Soscia, a school division spokeswoman.
Harris was suspended without pay Jan. 4, 2007, the day of his arrest, Soscia said.
The victim was a friend of a girl who was baby-sitting his two young children. According to court documents, the friend said Harris touched her breast while she was changing her clothes at his house.
Andrew Sacks, Harris' lawyer, said the victim had not been one of Harris' students.
"This is an aberrant act for which he has paid a dear price," Sacks said. "He immediately sought help and contacted the family to apologize."
Harris pleaded guilty to the charge in March, and the school superintendent recommended his dismissal.
The School Board terminated him last week.
The school division will ask the state Department of Education to revoke his teaching license, said John Mirra, assistant superintendent for human resources. The division has 10 business days to report the termination, according to state law.
State code calls for teachers' licenses to be revoked for felonies and any offenses involving the physical or sexual abuse of a child.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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