Immokalee HS teacher, coach arrested after inappropriate contact with students

An Immokalee High School teacher was arrested Tuesday night after it was revealed that he inappropriately touched at least one student in class and sent naked photos of himself to another student.

Collier County sheriff’s deputies arrested Travis Westberry, 30, of Summit Place Circle in Naples, on a felony charge connected with inappropriate relationships he had with two juvenile victims. He faces charges of battery, distributing obscene material to a child, and transmission of material harmful to minors.

Westberry is a math teacher and boys varsity basketball coach at Immokalee High School. The investigation began Tuesday after the victims disclosed information about Westberry to a Collier County Public Schools staff member, according to the CCSO.

His arrest sent shockwaves through Immokalee High School. Faustina Rivera heard about it when she came to pick up her grandson.

“I’m stunned. I mean, not at my high school!,” Rivera said. 

The sheriff’s office said Westberry sent nude photos of himself to a student as recently as last week. A second student, a 15-year-old sophomore, told deputies Westberry rubbed her thigh while in class and showed her obscene photos and videos of himself before requesting the same from her.

The details disturbed mom Ariana Rivera, who has a daughter.

“I am stunned myself. I mean, I thought teachers are supposed to be there to protect the kids while they’re in school. Like a second parent.”

Westberry was immediately fired from the school district.

The CCSO arrest report states that a female student was in Westberry’s math class when he pulled his chair up next to her desk to help her with classwork. He placed his hand on her inner thigh and began rubbing it until she pulled away. She told investigators this had happened twice before. The same victim also said that Westberry took out his phone and showed her photos of himself naked and a video of himself masturbating. He then requested she send photos of herself to him, so she pretended she did not speak English and he left her alone.

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