It all started so innocently, according to court records. In the spring of 2012, a T.C Williams High School psychology teacher Steven Miarer and a student started spending time together. She would stop by his classroom during "Titan Time," a less structured part of the day that can be used for studying or mentoring. Court documents show Miarer's mentoring became increasingly personal, as the two began speaking more like friends. After Spring Break, according to a statement of facts in the case, it became intimate.One day, when the two were alone, Miarer sat next to the girl in his classroom and brushed her shoulder. The next time they met, he kissed her and touched her buttocks. After that, he touched her breasts. By the fourth and final rendezvous, events had spiraled out of control for the psychology teacher who made $70,800 a year. Court documents show he grabbed her. Then he pulled down his own pants and underwear to his knees, exposing himself to her. She tried pulling away, according to court documents, but he grabbed her and tried to pull her closer to him again from the waist. After that, the two had little contact other than an extracurricular club they were both involved in. BY AUTUMN, Miarer's attention had moved on to another student. He started flirting with her, according to court documents, a relationship continued in a string of emails to his private account. When she was having trouble with her parents at home, he would offer a hug. One day, he told her to go to a corner of his empty classroom, where he hugged her again. But this time it went farther. Court records show he leaned in and kissed her. Soon afterward, they were both groping each other there in the classroom. The victim told investigators that he grinded against her. He told her that she was beautiful, that he did not want to stop. Then he reached down her shirt.Later that day, she told investigators, she felt guilty about the encounter because Miarer was married. So she began resisting his flirtations. Court records also show that she heard about other girls and believed Miarer knew what he was doing. By June, word was out, and people were talking. Rumors were swirling around the school, and Miarer knew the walls were closing in. When one of the students called him at home, according to court records, he told her that he couldn't talk and that he was "in a lot of trouble." After he resigned his position, detectives with the Alexandria Police Department obtained emails from one of the students to the teacher — a chain of correspondence that started as a conversation about homework and later moved into flirtations. IN OCTOBER, Miarer pleaded guilty to "taking indecent liberties with juveniles." Last week, Circuit Court judge Nolan Dawkins sentenced Miarer to one year in the Alexandria jail and nine years of supervised probation.“The judge’s just sentence, which represented an upwards departure from the applicable advisory sentencing guidelines, was appropriate because the defendant used his position as a teacher to sexually exploit several students," said Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Cathryn Evans. "The defendant, who was 20 years older than his victims, was prosecuted under the Virginia code section designed to protect minors from sexual exploitation by adults who hold positions of trust or authority over them.” Officials at the Virginia Department of Education say they have not yet received a petition to revoke Miarer's teaching license."The board has not acted on this case yet," said Charles Pyle, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Education. "In most cases, the school division will present a petition to the department to revoke the license."
