What did Martai McCullough Jr do? Miami-Dade school teacher arrested over alleged inappropriate relationship with a student

On Wedndesday, July 12, Miami-Dade school teacher Martai McCullough Jr (26), was arrested for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a 12-year-old student.

Trigger warning: This article concerns mentions of a child abuse investigation, reader discretion is advised.

According to WSVN, authorities claimed that the misconduct began in late 2022, when the suspect started passing post-it notes to the student, telling her he loved her. Over time, this reportedly escalated to illicit text messages and s*xual assault.

Martai McCullough Jr was detained by Miami-Dade authorities on Wednesday, but subsequently released on bond. The charges against him include offenses against students by authority figures, lewd and lascivious conduct and exhibition of a child under 18. The electronic devices of both McCullough and the 12-year-old victim have reportedly been impounded by the school police for the investigation.

The teacher allegedly confessed to the allegations when speaking to investigators (Image via LinkedIn)

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The timeline of the abuse allegations against Martai McCullough Jr

According to WSVN, the misconduct began some time before Christmas 2022. Martai McCullough Jr allegedly began passing inappropriate post-it notes to the 12-year-old student in the class room.

When speaking to Miami-Dade investigators, the victim identified McCullough Jr as the person responsible for the post-its. The notes read: “Hi loser, you look great today," “You look beautiful today," and "whatever I did to make you mad, I am sorry, hope you are okay."

Soon after, Martai McCullough Jr reportedly began buying meals for the student from DoorDash and Uber Eats. The teacher was also accused of arranging private meetings with the student, using these oppurtunities to inappropriately touch her. The victim claimed that as time went on, he also began kissing her.

Authorities were notified by the victim's father (representative image via Shutterstock)

In 2023, Martai McCullough Jr began speaking with the 12-year-old victim through a fake Instagram profile. He also allegedly sent illicit photos, and asked for them in return. The allegations against the teacher were reportedly brought forward by the victim's father, who began to suspect something was wrong. In the wake of the allegations, the school district condemned the 26-year-old teacher's actions through a statement:

"Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations made against this individual. Upon learning about this suspected behavior, Miami-Dade Schools Police immediately began their investigation and subsequently made an arrest."

The statement continued:

"This type of comportment will not be tolerated as it runs contrary to the professional conduct we expect from all employees. The District has initiated employment termination proceedings, and will ensure the individual is precluded from seeking future employment with the District."

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Authorities claim that after his arrest, McCullough Jr confessed to the charges. Prosecutors have ordered him not to have any further contact with children. According to Local10, prior to the allegations, the suspected abuser had been with the school district for three years.