OVIEDO, Fla. — A teacher who just three months ago led the Oviedo High School baseball team to a state championship will find out on Tuesday whether he still has a job.
Channel 9 first reported on Harold Hitt in June when he resigned as coach following accusations of inappropriate texts to a female student.
On Monday, Hitt sat down with Channel 9's Greg Warmoth to tell his side of the story.
Raw: Hitt on possibility of being fired
Warmoth said he has known Hitt for more than 12 years from Hitt's days as a baseball player and as a baseball coach.
Hitt's attorney asked Warmoth if Hitt could tell his side of the story. Hitt said it is a story that has been misconstrued to make him look like a teacher trying to take advantage of a student.
"I don't believe I'm guilty of anything," Hitt said.
Warmoth obtained 144 text messages between the student and Hitt that started in April 2014 and ended a year later.
"Did you have any interest in having a romantic relationship with this student?" Warmoth asked Hitt.
"Nothing other than to help this young lady through her senior year," Hitt said.
Hitt said he understands how the texts can be taken out of context.
He said one example was when, in texts, they called each other BAE, which means "before anyone else."
"It's not a term of endearment. It's not a term of infatuation. It quite simply involves acceptance," Hitt said.
Hitt said the student came to him after word got out that she appeared in a pornographic film. He said he provided her with sympathy and encouragement, but nothing sexual.
"When I found out about her involvement in that, all I tried to do was console her and say, 'If you need anything please let me know, I'll be more than happy to help,'" Hitt said. "I believe the reason she came after me was she figured out that I had knowledge that she had done an adult film and her embarrassment took her to a level that she had to go in complete defense mode, and I believe that's when she turned on me."
The girl also said the physical education teacher and baseball coach kissed her at prom. Hitt's attorney showed Warmoth a text in which she said she wants to snatch Hitt up to be her adviser, before anyone else.
As for that alleged kiss.
"I would think if a teacher kissed a student at the prom, it would've been on Facebook in five minutes," Hitt said.
"Never happened?" Warmoth asked.
"Absolutely not," Hitt responded.
Hitt said he believes because of five arrests at neighboring Hagerty High School for sexual misconduct by teachers, he is being painted by the same broad brush.
He said that in his case, there is no criminal investigation and no charges have been filed.
At a July meeting, the Seminole County School Board voted to suspend Hitt without pay and move forward with firing him.
Hitt is expected to address school board members Tuesday night. If fired, Hitt said he would appeal through arbitration.
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