A school security officer saw
Beth Friedman driving to school with the student she is accused of
having a sexual relationship with -- sometimes letting the middle
school student drive her car -- according to testimony in Broward
Circuit Court on Monday.
Kathleen Anderson, who lived on the grounds of Silver
Lakes Middle School in North Lauderdale, said she confronted
Friedman after she saw the boy smoking as he entered school with the
teacher.
``I felt very uncomfortable about it,'' Anderson testified.
``It's against the law to smoke within 1,000 feet of a school...'',
Anderson said she told Friedman that it wasn't appropriate to let
a student drive her car to school or to allow him to smoke.
Friedman, 43, is accused of having an 18-month sexual
relationship with one of her students that started when the boy was
15. She faces up to 76 years in prison if convicted of indecent
assault, sexual relations with a minor and contributing to the
delinquency of a minor.
The now 19-year-old testified that Friedman seduced him with
lavish gifts -- trips, money, clothes, jewelry, a car and drugs --
and even did his homework for him.
A history teacher from the school testified Monday that the teen
-- who rarely managed more that D or F work in other schools --
turned in stellar work in her history class, but never talked in
class.
``A lot of [his work] was done so well, I thought he might be
autistic,'' the teacher, Marissa Levine, said.
The school's principal, William Belltestified that he never saw
anything inappropriate when visiting Friedman's class.
Testimony continues today.
