Russell Rogers, a school athletic director and coach who worked at Van Guard School in Lake Wales and Auburndale High School, was arrested for soliciting a prostitute, the sheriff’s office said.The Polk County Public Schools released the following statement about Rogers’ arrest:
“We’re disappointed to learn that one of our employees was engaging in this kind of behavior. Part of being an educator is understanding that you are held to a higher standard for your actions in the classroom, as well as the community. These charges don’t involve students, and Rogers was not on duty as a teacher, but this kind of conduct still has no place in our school system.”
The school district said Rogers was first hired in April 2013. He has worked for Real Academy since 2017 and serves at the Auburndale campus.
PCPS said it is in the process of terminating Rogers’ employment with the school district.
Rogers was also part-time athletic director at The Vanguard School in Lake Wales.
“We are aware of the arrest and, while we have no ability to assess the accuracy of the charges, given the nature of the charges the individual arrested are no longer employed here,” said L. Shannon Graves, head of The Vanguard School.