54-Year-Old PE Teacher Held Without Bond Over Child Molestation

Marion County Public Schools has a long history of staffing changes, but the latest incident involves a physical education instructor currently held without bond.

Deputies arrested Jeffery Farris, 54, on Monday. He faces a charge of molestation of a child under the age of 12. As of this report, Farris remains in custody at the Marion County Jail with no bond set.

The arrest report details the victim's account of events at Saddlewood Elementary. She stated she was eight years old when Farris grabbed her buttocks and genital area from behind while she was bending over. The student also told investigators that he had grabbed her by the waist on other occasions.

During an interview with detectives, Farris offered an explanation for why he thought he was being questioned. He said he believed it was related to seeing a student's nipple while helping her unzip her jacket. That interaction occurred recently.

Investigators found a prior suspension in Farris's employment record. In 2017, while working as a wrestling coach at West Port High School, he shared a room with a female student during a trip. A district investigation confirmed the shared room but found no allegations of sexual contact at that time.

The district had previously suspended Farris for that 2017 incident before he moved to the elementary school where the current charges arose.