A Florida teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a homeless student who once considered her a mother figure after she took him into her home and gave him alcohol, according to police.
Mackenzie McLean, 49, a history, government, and economics teacher at Crooms Academy in Sanford, allegedly molested the 18-year-old student multiple times over a two-month period after he moved in with her in March 2024, court documents obtained by People report. McLean was arrested Tuesday.
Authorities say McLean gave the teen 12 shots of gin while he played video games with her daughter. Once he was heavily intoxicated, she allegedly sent her daughter out of the room and assaulted him. The student told police he lived with McLean for nine months and often tried to push her away, telling her the behavior was wrong. Court papers indicate they even shared a bed and drove to school together in the final months before his graduation.
The teen said he felt he had to endure the abuse to have a place to live and food to eat, according to police records.
Another student, 16, accused McLean of providing alcohol, marijuana gummies, and Adderall to her and other students. Police said McLean reportedly became violent—screaming and cutting herself—after the male student moved out in December 2024.
McLean, who had worked in Seminole County Public Schools for nearly 25 years, was placed on administrative leave after her arrest, FOX 35 reported. The district emphasized in a statement that student and staff safety is its highest priority and that any misconduct is taken seriously.
Jail records show McLean faces two counts of sexual offense by an authority figure and one count of distribution of a controlled substance. She is being held on a $35,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on March 31.