'Predator' Teacher Exposed by Teen's Secret Diary: Police

It was apparently a teenager's diary. entries that started a police. investigation that culminated in her. teacher's arrest just days later. [music]. We're taking a look at the high school. educator's arrest and the evidence that. Florida prosecutors say they've gathered. against him. Welcome to [music] Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse. Weber. A Florida [music] high school choir. teacher has been behind bars for months, accused of sexual battery against one of. his students. And we obtained the body.

cam footage from Northport police. showing David Summer being detained. outside the school on March 24th. Take a. look. >> Yep. All right. I'm just going to search you. one more time before you get my All. right. Just so you know, your phone is. going to be coming with us. It's going. to be taken for evidence. Okay. Just so you're aware.

All right. Hop up in here. >> [snorts]. >> It's easier uh if you sit in the car. with your knees pointed towards the. front door or door towards the uh side.

door like here. Maybe lean that way. Kind of lean on your shoulder. It's not. the most comfortable, but it'll do for a. little bit. All right. >> All right. >> Thanks, guys. >> Thank you. >> Appreciate it. >> But that's only part of it. According to. a warrant, Summer had reportedly been. sending inappropriate text messages to. one of his students, a teenage girl, which allegedly escalated to him. touching her in his classroom. According. to the court docket, the 51-year-old was. hit with six charges. Sexual battery.

upon a person 12 or older but less than. 18 by a person in familial or custodial. authority. That is a firstderee felony. Three counts of an authority figure. soliciting sexual conduct with a. student, which are secondderee felonies. By the way, look how specific these. charges are. The fact that the. legislature had to create laws. specifically targeting those in. authority positions or familiar. relations just shows you what kind of. world we live in. Also, there's one. count of unlawful use of a. communications device, one count of.

harmful explicit communication to a. minor. Both are thirdderee felonies. Serious case, right? Serious case. And. because of how serious these accusations. are, Summer was denied bond. He's been. detained since the early stages of this. investigation. So, I want to take you. through this case. I want to take you. through what the victim claims happened, what was going on behind closed doors, according to her. Now, the warrant. states that a Northport officer. responded to Northport High School after. a report of a relationship between a.

male teacher and a female student. The. apparent victim was waiting to speak. with the officer in the principal's. office, accompanied by her parents. The. girl's father apparently told the. officer that earlier that day he had. gone into his daughter's bedroom and. found her journal, that he began reading. parts of it and realized she was. describing a sexual relationship with. her chorus teacher, David Summer. This. one's shocking. According to the. warrant, the girl's parents immediately. pulled her out of class to get to the.

bottom of what was going on. And it. turns out that when word came that she. was being released from school, Summer. was reportedly right in the middle of. assaulting her. The warrant says the. family spoke in the parking lot. Quote, he stated he asked her if anything else. has happened between her and David that. was not inside the diary. He said she. told him that today David had physically. touched her again, but this time he put. his hands down her pants. So, at this. point, they all went to the principal's. office to report what the teen said was. going on, and the police were contacted.

And according to the student, she and. Summer started texting in the summer of. 2025 after she attended a camp with him. He got her phone number. What she said. happened next is something, you know, if. these allegations are true, we see time. and time again. She [snorts] claims they. had regular conversations about normal. topics, but that eventually shifted the. discussions of her sexual experiences. We call that grooming if these. allegations are true. And after the teen. made her allegations on March 24th, the. Sarasota School Board police detained.

Summer and then they turned him over to. the Northport Police Department. Investigators say that he refused to. provide a statement, but a judge had. signed a warrant for quote body. standards such as fingerprints and after. that he was released. But then you go to. two days later on March 26th and. multiple officers responded to a local. law office to take this guy into. custody. >> Hi. >> There's a bunch of us. Can you have uh. David Summers step out here? >> Can you give us five minutes? I'll bring. right out to you.

>> [clears throat]. >> You got one, >> three, >> one. Either that or we're we're going to. have to come back and get them. >> Thank you. >> All right. Here we go. >> All right, man. Spin around for me. Just. punch your palms together like you're. praying. It's a little bit more. comfortable. >> You don't have anything else on you,

bud? Okay. [snorts]. >> All right. Let's take a walk down. >> Okay. >> Sorry. >> Thank you. >> Take care. >> Yeah.

All right. Just going to go right here. Spot truck. I'm just going to search the rest of. you. I know I p you down, but.

Um, what you're playing with your car. >> Okay. Um, is your back seat open at least for. now? No. >> Or do you have a bunch of stuff in back? Actually, hey, Mills, you're good. Obviously, you.

understand why we're here. Um, appreciate you not doing anything wild. to. you. You want to switch? I don't know. >> Yeah. Do you want to? I mean, >> yeah. All right. These are a little bit more comfortable.

for you, too. Anyway, >> confirm you're going. You want to head. in front of me? >> There's nothing to confirm. It's. >> just us. Had no parking. Do you have anything? >> You show all the units on 1017. It's 766.

Hudson Avenue in Sarasota. 10151. Hudson Avenue. >> Um, I'll get GD to email you the. warrant. Okay. Um, and then they'll have.

to. you can probably print it and just hand. it to man that want. >> By the way, I got to say something. I. know it's a little off topic, but this. is something that I think most people. don't even realize. Carrying credit card. debt can get expensive fast. And if. you're only making the minimum payment. each month, it may take a long time to. pay off the balance because so much of. your payment goes toward interest. But. that is where our sponsor PDS debt can. come in. This is where they can help you. take back control. What do I mean? Debt.

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thousands just like you escape debt. Proven, by the way, by their A+ rating. with the Better Business Bureau. So, get. your free 30-se secondond personalized. assessment today at pds. debt.com/sidebar. Now, in the meantime, officers were. gathering as much evidence as they. could. According to the warrant, quote, "The victim brought her journal, which. was collected as evidence along with her. cell phone, which she provided consent. for it to be forensically downloaded. Due to the very short time frame from. when the crime occurred to the time.

reported to law enforcement, I directed. her along with her parents to go to the. Northport ER Sarasota Memorial to. conduct a sack kit, sexual assault kit, with the sane nurse. I also inquired if. they would be willing to participate in. a forensic interview at the Child. Protection Center. She and her parents. all agreed and were more than willing to. attend the interview as soon as. possible. And by the way, with forensic. interviews, these are very specialized, very specific, sensitive interviews if. you're dealing with these conversations.

of alleged sexual abuse or sexual. activity with a child or with a. teenager. And we'll talk about them a. little bit more. And to be clear, look, he's innocent unless proven guilty. Although, let's talk about this. This is. going to be a problem for potential. defense, it seems. Thanks to the. forensic download of the reported. victim's cell phone, detectives had. access to more than 400. pages of text messages between her and. Summer. In addition to multiple mentions.

of sexual activity, Summer also. allegedly tells her he loves her several. times. Now, I'm going to be very clear. The warrant details what this teen. apparently told forensic interviewers, but it is just far too graphic to relay. here. But if the allegations are true, Summer's actions were brazen, even. allegedly going so far as to lay on top. of this victim in a corner of the. classroom, which she says he referred to.

as our corner. Now, the warrant. narrative ends with this heartbreaking. statement. quote, she detailed in her. interview that the reason she did not. come forward was because she felt that. if it was just happening to her, he. would not do it to anyone else. Now, as. Summer's case has moved through the. legal system, we actually got an idea of. the type and volume of evidence that. Sarasota County prosecutors have been. able to gather. For example, a witness. and evidence list was submitted to the. court and it includes entries like the.

probable cause affidavit and arrest. warrants, the alleged victim's diary, text messages, Snapchat messages, emails, and the list also includes. tablet messages from some of Summer's. family members, plus important school. documents that Summer would have been. required to sign like acceptance receipt. of school board of Sarasota County HR. policies and procedures and department. of coral and vocal studies travel. guidelines, regulations, procedures, and. prosecutors could potentially also.

introduce jail tablet messages. And this. is interesting because an SD card. apparently showing security footage at. the high school that may be a part of. this case as well. And while it may not. show the inside of the classroom, that. kind of visual evidence could. potentially be used to corroborate when. the victim was seen near Summer's. classroom. Right. Okay. So, to help me. break this down, I want to welcome on. civil litigation attorney, uh, Chris. Clots. Chris, thanks so much for coming. on. First, let's just talk about I mean. the civil arena before we get to the.

criminal arena. If you hear of a teacher. accused of something like this, what is. the potential liability for the school? What is the potential liability for the. school district? Because I will tell you. right now, at the time of this. recording, I haven't seen a lawsuit. filed or anything, but I got to ask that. question. >> Yeah, absolutely. And you know, we do. these cases all the time at Alto Wick. increase and overhalts. we've got um. cases where teachers have had. inappropriate relationships with. students. The number one thing you. really want to look for is what did the.

school have that would have caused them. to be on notice that this teacher was. doing that? And a couple interesting. things that um you know the the um. student said in the interview was that. the teacher said, "Oh, we always get. caught." And if you remember in reading. the affidavit, there was an instance. where there was another, I think, female. teacher perhaps that came to the door. and was knocking on the door. And you. know, obviously when they when that. teacher, whoever the female was that. came in the room, there was something. going on. The the statement said that. they had been on the floor, you know,

um, engaged in highly inappropriate. behavior. So things like that where you. know a teacher's been in there or they. may have gotten caught or a teacher may. have seen something or an adult may have. seen something can put the school on. notice cuz the school you know needs to. have some type of notice that there was. something inappropriate going on which. is why that's an element of the case. >> I just want to back up to that. H what. does a school do? They interview them. They probably do a background check I. imagine. I mean correct me if I'm wrong. how these interviews happen. Do they.

they look at their prior work history? I. mean, but how how do you know like how. do you know how do you properly do a. thorough check because it does make me. wonder is there any way to protect. against this? It seems to me there are. probably cases where this came out of. left field. We had no idea. I mean, what. more can they do to do a background. check versus looking back maybe we. didn't ask enough questions or we didn't. look at this this x y and z. I don't. know. Well, there's all different kinds. of ways that a school can have notice. And I've seen teachers bounce around.

from school to school to school to. school. They maybe have some reports. that there was some type of. inappropriate conduct. Maybe it didn't. rise to the level of criminal. prosecution, but there was some, you. know, report by a student that, you. know, something inappropriate had. happened and then they let the school. the teacher, you know, resigned from. that position and then the next school. district over they they've got another. job. And so that can also be noticed. So. if a if a teacher has bounced around a. lot and they have not fully vetted their. prior history at prior places of. employment, then yeah, that can actually.

create the notice as well. And you know, administrations have an obligation to. kind of keep tabs on what's going on. You know, check in, you know, do room. checks with the teacher, see what's. going on, see if there's kids hanging. out in the teacher's room in between. classes when you would not normally. expect kids to be in there. I mean, that's something that between classes, administration can walk around and just. do some spot checks and say, "Hey, are. there some, you know, children, students. hanging out in this teacher's room on a. consistent basis that don't really have. a a purpose [snorts] for being here?". And then, you know, there there may be a.

legitimate purpose perhaps. Um, but ask. questions. And so, you know, the. administration has an obligation to kind. of keep the keep a finger on the pulse. of what's going on around the school and. doing background checks. Are there. prohibitions against teachers. uh texting or social messaging, social. media messaging students? Is that like. is that in a contract with the teacher. when they join a school? You cannot have. the children's the the the child the. students number under any circumstance.

If you want to communicate, you do it. through the parent. Is that like is that. something they sign? So, you know, there are some school. districts that do have policies like. that. I have seen some school districts. that have policies where you don't um uh. friend somebody on Facebook or you don't. friend somebody on Instagram or you. don't friend somebody on Snapchat. You. don't have those types of. communications. I think um every school. district probably has their own policy. on that, but I have seen that some that. do. I have seen some that don't. And you. know really just in a best practices. world as a as an adult having.

interactions with children the best. policy is probably not to have direct. communication like that um and to go. through the parents or have if there is. some type of direct communication that's. necessary. Almost every school has an. email system set up where you can email. the child student through a school email. portal. That way everything's. documented. there can never be any. allegations that you've done anything. inappropriate. Um, or if there are, then. there's going to be a paper trail of it.

and you can document it. And if you know. a best practice for teachers is probably. not to have outside friendship. relationships like that on social media. and some and to answer your question, some schools have that policy, some. don't. >> Let me go to the criminal case. Look, he's innocent unless proven guilty. However, to me, it seems the most. significant piece of evidence of the. text messages. Would you agree? I mean, what what stands out to you? Um where it. may be a difficult case to suggest, hey, I didn't do any of this. I'm completely.

innocent. Um is it the text messages, the volume, the content of the text. messages that are going to be the most. difficult to explain away? >> Yeah. So, in the first part of my. career, I did a lot of criminal defense. representation. So, this would be a case. that would come into me with the text. messages. This is kind of a damage. control case. um with the text messages. unless you've got some way to show that. the text me messages were fraudulently. made somehow which is a very would be a.

very very rare instance although I mean. it does happen where people try to frame. somebody for some inappropriate conduct. um this is a damage control case when he. is talking about things like you know. masturbation and you know he loves her. and he's looking forward to you know the. next time they have some type of of. inappropriate contact. If they have it. nailed to his cell phone, it becomes a. damage control case and not a not a who. done it or did it happen case and you're.

and you're looking for, you know, usually in that type of case, you. probably not going to go to trial. You. were looking to minimize the amount of. jail exposure that the person has. >> You mean taking a deal? >> Yes. >> And what would that look like here? So. the the one thing that I didn't see is I. know that in this particular case it. looks like they seized one of the phones. and they did a forensic evaluation I. think of the of the student's phone. U. they didn't report whether or not there. were any type of uh graphic images and. so if there are images of her and those.

are of such a nature that they would be. considered um child pornography or. seesam and he has those then the the. stakes are dramatically higher. There. are some very very stiff penalties. Sometimes there are minimum mandatory. sentences if it can be considered a. production of child sexual assault. material. And so even with the conduct. that's alleged, I mean, there's a large. exposure to jail time in this particular. case. And I would just based on the the. cases that I've seen in the past, I. would be surprised that if he were to. take a deal or if he were to go to trial.

and be found guilty of this, um, that he. would probably end up with a fairly. significant jail or prison sentence. What makes this also unique is the fact. that the way this was all uncovered, assuming these allegations are true, are. through diary entries, through journal. entries, a parent looking at that. Now, one, I'm sure that's not the first time. something like this has happened, whether you consider that or text. messages, but I was wondering from an. evidentiary point of view, can those be. admissible? Can those do those present.

an interesting question in terms of what. someone writes down in a journal or a. diary? Talk to me about that. >> Yes. So there is this does skirt a. little bit close to a potential legal. issue which would be a you know fourth. amendment um search and seizure issue. but because it's the parent who found. the diary and not law enforcement like. say the say law enforcement had gone. into the young girl's room without a. warrant and they had taken the journal. that would have been an illegal search. and seizure. Um but because the parent. has gone into the child's room though it.

is puno perhaps a breach of trust. there's no legal issue that would. prevent that from being evidence. Say. for instance, the um student has a. change of heart and she doesn't want to. prosecute the case for some reason. because maybe she's in love with the. teacher or something like that. Could. they use that as a piece of evidence. perhaps to prove the case? There's not a. legal impediment to the journal entries. really coming in front of a jury. >> What do you make of the timeline here? Right. It seemed like it happened really. quickly. The the diary entries, this.

alleged assault happening, right? uh the. sexual assault kit, uh the forensic. interview, this happened really quickly, which makes me wonder that may Does that. help with the prosecution's case? Um h. how does it factor into it? >> Yes. So, honestly, the the more quickly. a case can get from the accusation to. the court phase, um the stronger it will. be for the prosecution. quite frequently. in a criminal case, the defense will. want to delay the case because u you.

know the older the case is you know. general conventional wisdom is that the. older a case is the weaker it usually. gets. A criminal case does not get any. better for the prosecution with time as. a general proposition. So the fact that. they acted quickly that they took. affirmative steps to do the. investigation, do the forensic download. of the of the student's phone and get it. to court quickly, I think helps the. prosecution. What are those forensic. examinations, those forensic interviews. like? I mean, I can imagine they're. incredibly difficult even when you're,

you know, have an adult, but when you. have somebody like this, it's a very. sensitive, very difficult process, but. an important part of the investigation, right? >> Yeah. So, uh, interviewing children who. are, um, survivors of sexual abuse, there's very [clears throat] much of a. protocol to it. And so there's usually a. children's advocacy center or a. children's home where there are trained. professionals who know how to do what's. called a forensic interview and there's. a protocol for it and it's recorded and.

it's done in a very formal manner that. has a protocol. I think the primary goal. in those forensic interviews is to get. the information that's necessary to do. the investigation to advance the. criminal case. But secondarily, and. probably as important, I think the. people who have been trained on how to. do these interviews are trying not to. retraumatize the child and trying to be. sensitive of the fact that the child has. gone through a highly traumatic, very, very adverse incident and they don't. want to cause any more harm to the child. emotionally or physically. So, there's.

definitely a protocol to it. There's a. right way to do it and a wrong way to do. it. And you know what you will see as. law enforcement agents when they find. out that there has been a trauma with. children and sometimes even with adults, they will have somebody on that law. enforcement agency who's been trained on. how to do a forensic interview that is. in tune with the needs of somebody who's. a survivor and and do it do it in the. kindest way that can still get the. information they need for the. prosecution. >> I want to go back to something that you. said. Does she have to testify for this. case to move forward? because I have to. imagine that it wouldn't be the first.

time that somebody maybe was able to. come forward, tell their parents, tell. law school staff, tell law enforcement, but when it comes times to testify at. trial, they maybe just I I they can't do. it. They just can't do it. What happens. in those scenarios? Does the case fall. apart? Can they just introduce pieces of. the the forensic examination? I don't. know if that's recorded or not. How does. it work? So. with this question, you do get to a core. constitutional right and everybody has.

has the right to confront those. witnesses against them. And so if I was. the defense attorney representing the. teacher in this particular case and the. survivor child said they did not want to. testify, I would file a motion to. dismiss the case because that child is. the one who's brought the allegations. That one that child is the main witness. The state would then have to make a hard. choice or at least let the judge make a. decision about whether the case can move. forward without the child. Could it be. that the diary of the child is enough?

Could they even get the diary into. evidence without the child testifying. about the diary? Could the text messages. from the teacher be enough? For. instance, going back to the, you know, if the the teacher sends inappropriate. text messages, could the act of sending. the text messages enough to be some type. of criminal violation? If the teacher is. in possession of photographs and they're. of the child, then the child may not. have to testify that the photographs are. of her if it's obvious that it's her. So. maybe if it's just a photograph case,

the child might not have to testify. So. it very much depends on what charges the. prosecutors bring and what ruling the. judge might make on a constitutional. issue of being able to confront your. accusers. >> See how this progresses. Chris Clattz, thank you so much for taking the time. Yeah, always happy to be here. Thanks. for having me. >> And that's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so. much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your. podcast. [music] You can also check us. out on NBC's Peacock as well if you want.

to follow me. Ex Instagram, my. NewsNation show, Jesse Weber Live, Monday through Friday, [music] 11 p.m. Eastern. See you next time, everybody.