Punta Gorda Middle School had two educators arrested in the past few years and charged with sexual misconduct.
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PORT CHARLOTTE — Charlotte County Public Schools is launching the Boundaries Build Trust initiative to encourage students and staff to report inappropriate behavior.
The initiative follows the arrests of two Punta Gorda Middle School teachers.
Brian L. Pavluchuk, 40, was arrested on July 24 with felony charges including sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation. Pavluchuk allegedly sexually abused the victim between 2014 and 2017.
Pavluchuk taught seventh-grade civics and social studies. He was placed on administrative leave following the charges.
From the same school, gym teacher Dagoberto Miguel Pena, 37, was arrested on April 29, 2025, on charges of lewd or lascivious battery on a person between 12 and 16 years old.
Pena was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
According to a lawsuit against the Charlotte County School Board filed by the victim’s parents, on Nov. 12, 2024, Pena touched the victim’s butt and held their hand. The parents complained to the school’s administration. Pena was suspended but later re-assigned to teach at the school.
The victim’s parents are suing the school for multiple counts of negligence and a count of battery.
Claudette Smith, public information officer for Charlotte County Public Schools, said the safety of students is always a priority but recent incidents “reinforced” the need to take a closer look at their practices.
“We’ve worked with the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS) to review our hiring procedures and have taken additional steps to strengthen safeguards,” Smith wrote to The Daily Sun in an email.
The schools hiring process involves pre-employment screenings, drug tests, background checks and fingerprints.
Boundaries Build Trust includes a new online reporting tool for students, staff and families to use.
Once a report of concerning behavior is submitted, the school district will review the claims.
“Depending on the nature and severity of the allegations, an employee may be immediately removed from campus and placed on leave while an investigation is conducted,” Smith said. “The district takes every allegation seriously while ensuring that all employees are afforded due process throughout the investigative process.”
Reports can be made anonymously, but the individual will not be able to receive updates on the outcome of the investigation.
The initiative states that concerning behaviors between a student and an authority figure includes communication on personal devices, unnecessary or “overly familiar” physical contact and pressure to keep secrets.
“Boundaries Build Trust is a way to bring that work together and make it easier for students, families and employees to find information, recognize concerning behavior and report it,” Smith said.
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