Former Broward teacher could lose license for conduct with boys

A former Broward elementary teacher should be banned from teaching in Florida due to inappropriate conduct with young students, a state judge has recommended.

Lee Richard Kornhauser, 52, of Coral Springs, was accused of inviting boys who were not his students into his classroom at Discovery Elementary in Sunrise, even after being told multiple times not to do so, according to a ruling by State Administrative Law Judge Mary Li Creasy.

Kornhauser was also accused of tickling students, allowing them to sit on his lap, licking and biting a young boy’s finger, and eating a fudge pop in front of a boy in a way that simulated oral sex, according to the judge’s report.

The state Education Practices Commission will decide whether to accept the judge’s recommendation and revoke Kornhauser’s license at a Dec. 10 meeting.

Broward school police could not determine whether Kornhauser had touched students in a sexual way, and he was never charged with any crimes. He was recommended to be fired, but instead resigned in May 2014.

The judge wrote that Kornhauser’s conduct was intentional and “constitutes a failure to protect students from conditions harmful to learning and to their mental health.”

Kornhauser, who could not be reached for comment, told the judge his conduct “was merely innocent joking and teasing with students to build a rapport to enhance their learning experience,” according to the judge’s report. He testified that no teacher had seen him harm any students, and that his co-workers had described him as an excellent teacher.

An educator for 25 years, Kornhauser had taught math and science to fifth graders at Discovery since 2006. School officials said they became concerned with his “inappropriate behavior” with students attending a school after-care program during the 2010-11 school year. An administrator warned him several times not to interact with those students, but Kornhauser “continuously ignored this directive,” the judge wrote.

A female teacher saw Kornhauser “flirting” with one of her students, a fifth grade boy, according to testimony. She reported seeing him tickle the boy’s neck while telling him, “you can keep a secret, can’t you?” Kornhauser also told the boy his name was on a list of “naughty children,” the female teacher testified.

During the 2011-12 school year, teachers reported seeing Kornhauser lifting up young boys and swinging them around, allowing them to sit on his lap, buying them expensive gifts, stroking their hair, showing them unapproved movies, bringing them back to his classroom during lunch for private meetings and allowing a young boy to put his fingers in the teacher’s mouth and then licking and biting the boy’s fingers.

Department of Education officials didn’t convincingly prove Kornhauser’s intent was sexual, the judge wrote, but agreed he violated state requirements that teachers maintain professional conduct, make reasonable efforts to protect students from harm and not intentionally expose them to unnecessary embarrassment.

stravis@sunsentinel.com or 561-243-6637 or 954-425-1421