- A Wakulla High School instructor faces four counts of battery after allegedly whipping students with a bungee cord, leaving marks on some victims.
- Court documents reveal the instructor sometimes encouraged students to whip each other, raising further concerns about the abuse.
- The Wakulla County School District launched an investigation and banned the instructor from campus, while the case remains under legal review.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
37-year-old Eric Kasheta faces four counts of battery after court documents revealed that he allegedly demanded high school students stand in a corner while he whipped them with a bungee cord.
According to the incident report, some of the victims claimed they left the scene with visible marks after being struck by the bungee cord. The documents also stated that, on some days, Kasheta would get one student to whip another, raising further concerns about the nature of the acts.
Kasheta, who taught at Wakulla High School and was a Diesel Mechanic instructor at the Lively Technical Center program, was banned from the high school by the district after the allegations came to light. The Wakulla County School District notified law enforcement in January, and Kasheta voluntarily turned himself in to authorities.
In a statement to the public, the Superintendent of Wakulla County Schools expressed concern, saying:
“While we cannot discuss specific details due to the active nature of the case, we want to reassure our community that the safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority. The district is following all legal and personnel procedures, and appropriate actions have been taken regarding the employee's status.”
One of the victims' parents spoke out about the situation, describing it as “disturbing” and claiming that Kasheta appeared to derive enjoyment from the abuse. The parent said, "It was not deserved, it was entertainment from what I gathered after getting more information... it was like he enjoyed it."
In a conversation with Kasheta’s attorney, Ray Curtis, the lawyer stated that the defense team is still awaiting documents from the State Attorney’s Office and will thoroughly review the evidence once it is received. Curtis added, "That’s the only statement I’ve got."
Court documents further revealed that Kasheta's attorney initially offered for him to surrender his teaching certificate as part of a deal. However, the school district later discovered that Kasheta was not certified in Florida.
Joe Bediford, who represents the victims in the case, said, "This caused a lot of pain, it certainly tormented these young people, and it was just an overall very bad situation. It was beyond any corporal punishment that could’ve been administered."
As this case unfolds, the Wakulla County community and the broader public remain outraged, as the investigation continues into the allegations against the former teacher.
Kasheta is scheduled to appear in court on April 3rd at 9:00am.
