PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A football coach and active day-to-day substitute at Seminole Ridge High School was arrested Monday after police said he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a student who formerly attended the school.
Keith Gruber, of Belle Glade, 36, faces charges of lewd lascivious behavior with a victim between the age of 12 and 16 and a sex offense charge involving a student.
Jail records indicate he was booked at the Palm Beach County Jail at 12:11 a.m. Tuesday.
Hours later he made a first appearance in court where a judge assigned him a public defender.
The court set his bond at $50,000 per count and he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim, anyone under the age of 18 or Seminole Ridge High School. He was also prohibited from having any weapons.
According to Principal James Campbell, Gruber, whose start date was April 2018, will not be returning to Seminole Ridge High School.
Below is the full statement Campbell sent to parents on Tuesday morning:
Dear Parents,
Yesterday evening, Coach Keith Gruber was arrested by law enforcement as a result of allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a student who formerly attended Seminole Ridge High School.
Coach Gruber will not be returning to Seminole Ridge High School and risks losing the opportunity to ever obtainprofessional teaching credentials upon the conclusion of the court proceedings and a professional standards investigation.
Educators who fail to properly steward the trust placed in them to maintain appropriate relationships with students disappoint the entire community, but particularly the administration and staff at our school, who have demonstrated over a decade of supportive and caring relationships with students.
As we move forward this week, I ask that parents and students refrain from discussing this matter, especially on social media, to protect the identity and privacy of the student.
Thank you in advance for your continued support of our school community.
Sincerely,
James Campbell, Ed.D.
Principal
#UPDATE: Keith Gruber was an active substitute at Seminole Ridge HS and one of the football coaches, per the school district. Court records say he allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old student inside the school’s weight room. An outside counselor reported it to police. @WPTV pic.twitter.com/P8LHGgFg7u
— Ryan Hughes (@HughesWPTV) February 19, 2019