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Documents Reflect Ragusa's Relationship With Student

Tribune file photo by JAY CONNER

Former teacher Stephanie Ragusa, shown here during a June court hearing, is charged with having sex with students.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 7, 2008

Updated: 08/07/2008 02:22 pm

TAMPA - Former Hillsborough County middle school teacher Stephanie Ragusa told one of the students she's accused of having sex with that she loved him, and they discussed dating and her giving him money, according to hundreds of pages of discovery documents released today by the State Attorney's Office.

The documents include text messages as well as Ragusa's last will and testament, in which she addresses the student.

Ragusa is charged with having sex with two students.

"Please finish school," she wrote to the boy in the will. "I cannot believe how lucky I was to have met you. Deep down, you are so warm + caring. Meet your potential, find love, happiness + a family of your own. U deserve no less."

She wrote that she wants her funeral to be just like her mother's — candlelit and red roses or flowers only. She saidthat she wants to be cremated and have a teaspoon of her ashes thrown into the Gulf of Mexico and on the Forum in Rome.

Ragusa declined to comment today.

According to the documents, the evidence against her includes a love letter addressed by Ragusa, the will, DNA test results, a Christmas card and key chain given to a student by Ragusa, text messages and a cell phone video of Ragusa kissing a student on April 28.

In the text messages, she told the student about 12:30 p.m. March 2 that she needs to touch and kiss him.

"I miss touching u and laying next to u," she wrote. "I have to constantly be in the same space as u. … It doesn't matter what we do, I just want to be around u. In the same room. I want ur company. All the time"

"Me 2," he wrote back.

She told him she wished she had a picture of him so she could see his face all the time. Later that day, she messaged him saying she wanted to go on a date. She wanted to do something "romantic, different."

He asked for suggestions.

"Can you think of anything. Maybe …giving each other massages?" She wrote. "Candlelight. Music. Or a pleasant/romantic movie."

On March 3, she texted him to ask whether he loved her, "cause I need to hear that from u every day. i love u."

On March 4, she told him she can't stop thinking about him but that she was worried he wasn't happy anymore.

"i feel so comfortable with u," she wrote. "In this crazy world with so much going on, I feel like I finally found someone I can stand still with. And take it easy. … u."

On the night of March 4, she texted him to say she would be going to an accountant the following day. He told her that he talked with a person who was probably going to sell him a car for $2,000 or less. The following day, he told her he needed $1,500 from her. She said "1300 is tight enough," and he said, "Jus today u said 1500."

On the night of March 7, she said, "Y cant u text me in the morning to start off each day? It would be nice to hear from my boyfriend."

On March 10, she wanted to "have a cuddle day" with the boy. He told her that afternoon he "marked" her boyfriend's truck because he saw it parked outside her home.

Later, she told him she lied to police to protect him from charges.

"They wanted all my friends that would have anything against tony. I told them I didn't know anyone like that. So lets lay off the texting. … At least until this is resolved. By the way, u were r my girlfriend amy if anyone is watching me text since I don't have your number saved im erasing all these messages too and I cleared my phone out too. Gotta go. Stick to the story."

On March 11, she told him she was "freaking out" because the office of professional standards with the Hillsborough County School District kept calling him.

Later that day, she wrote, "I loved today. The sex was amazing."

He replied: "YES I KNOW!"

She wrote: "I keep smiling about it thinking about it. U know. Those smiles u love to see and I only do around u! … I love that u can change my whole mood. Bring me up when I feel down. Its magical"

She told him that he bewitches her.

Ragusa, who turned 29 on April 5, was arrested March 13 after investigators accused her of having sex at least three times from January to May 2007 with a then-14-year-old student.

As the investigation continued, she was arrested again April 15, accused of having a sexual relationship with another student starting when the boy was 15.

Ragusa is charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious battery, four counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, four counts of unlawful sex with a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She is being held without bail at Falkenburg Road Jail.

After her first arrest, she continued messaging the boy. She said she knew it was dangerous to do so.

On April 12, he told her that she should have been with him the previous day.

"Okay," she wrote. "So I should go home? … I'm trying so hard. And I was still willing yesterday. Do u understand the risk? I'm trying so hard. …. The whole thing is so risky and foolish. Esp if u aren't at all patient or understanding."

Minutes later, she told him she was upset that he was continuing to be upset with her.

"I think u enjoy this. Me having my hands tied and u being able to find enough reasons to be mad at me ALL THE TIME. Cause this doesn't seem to have the same … I can't do this anymore. I can't continue living. This is all pain. I'm screwed either way."

The boy said that if Ragusa killed herself, her father would be unable to deal with it.

"I am at my end," she wrote. "I'm just being honest. I can't take much more of this. I want to be free to live how I want to live and with who I want to live with. … I am dead inside. I haven't been even slightly happy since my birthday. I can't take it. I want to take one of those anxiety pills. … But look what that does to Me like last night."

Later, she wrote: "Please think about what u want me to do. I need to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I want to be happy or see a future with happiness and my car."

About 1 p.m. April 15, the day of her second arrest, she wrote: "U want to look out for my family. Now's your big chance. Hope u got what u were looking for. Peace. I'm OUT.

Less than an hour later, this message was sent from Ragusa's cell phone to the boy's phone number: "Maribel? This is pam. Have you talked to stephanie today? I see messages to these numbers. She is on the sofa surrounded by vomit. What happened? She is out. Her father is on the way. He will take her privately to the doctor. I got off work early. What happened?"

The boy replied that it wasn't Maribel and that it wasn't his problem and he didn't know what happened to Ragusa.

"She tried killing herself cuz I wouldn't come and help her," the boy wrote. "Cuz she knows she's going to jail."

The person responded: "She is fine. She had a likely reaction to anxiety pills. I will have her attorney call u. She is a fighter and is innocent. So we must pray for her."

The boy replied: "No im good … I'm not gonna help her … wats she gonna do keep calling?"

The person responded: "Thank you for the help. I will let stephanie know as soon as she wakes up. I will let you know if she has to go to the hospital."

The boy responded: "Watever. … peace."

The Investigation

One of the alleged victims told deputies April 16 that he didn't disclose all the details of his relationship with Ragusa the first time because he thought it would get him in trouble.

He said he had spoken with Ragusa every day since her March arrest and had received messages and calls from her until April 15, when she was at St. Joseph's Hospital. He said that after Ragusa was arrested, she "told him who the first victim was and asked him if he knew him," according to document used in the investigation. He told deputies he told Ragusa he knew the boy, "and was then asked by Stephanie to call the first victim and persuade him to tell detectives he had lied and made the whole story up."

The boy told deputies that Ragusa gave him letters, cards and gifts and that she had made him the executor of her will.

He also told deputies that he last had sex with Ragusa on April 5. Afterward, she wiped herself off on his T-shirt, he said, offering to give the shirt to investigators.

The alleged victim later gave investigators a two-piece "couples" key chain he claimed to have received from Ragusa. The chain featured a "heart" piece, with his initials, and an "arrow" piece, with Ragusa's initials. The gift was in a Valentine's Day gift bag with a card that said, "Do Not Open Until Valentine's Day. I love you today and always, from Stephanie."

The boy also gave investigators the unwashed T-shirt and a handwritten note from Ragusa that read: "I love you so much. I told u that being in your bed is the best place in the world. Lets do this again soon. Make me an appointment. Steph."

Ragusa and Students

Ragusa applied to become a Hillsborough County teacher in July 2006. She worked for Madison Middle School and transferred to Davidsen Middle School in December 2006.

Also included in the documents were dozens of signed goodbye notes to Ragusa from Davidson Middle School students. Among them:

• "Girl you are probably the coolest teacher ever. We should def. chill over the summer." It is signed with a heart symbol.

• "Hey you're the best teacher ever don't ever change you're the best we all (heart symbol) u soooo much!"

• "Hey I know I haven't known you that long but your madd cool! ... dont worry ill stay off that dus*** lol! I ma miss you"

• "Just put it like this when I em older I wanna be just like you I love you more then ever hear for you till the end and all I can say is that your parents (mom) would be proud and happy for making something so special like you. I love you forever."

Also, a Christmas card to one of Ragusa's students, signed by Ragusa, states: I know it sounds like a cliche but the holidays are a time for remembering what is important for honoring family and those you love. Despite recent events I cannot claim to love you any less and hope that in the coming year, your heart warms and that you are willing to make a new beginning. Happy Holidays & have a safe & blessed New Year.

An undated seven-page complaint to the office of professional standards also was among the documents.

Ragusa wrote the complaint against Martinez Middle School Principal Kathleen Flanagan. She stated that on three occasions, Flanagan violated state Board of Education principles of professional conduct.

Flanagan could not be immediately reached for comment.

The first instance occurred after an Oct. 7 bomb threat drill, Ragusa wrote. She said Flanagan yelled at her in front of students and colleagues because the principal thought she refused to leave the building during the drill, instead staying behind with a student.

Flanagan, she said, yelled that Ragusa was "totally unfit to work with children" and that she "would definitely be contacting professional standards" to report Ragusa.

Ragusa went on to complain that she felt restricted in trying to help students because, after Oct. 10, she was told by Flanagan "to not meet with students, 'before or after school,' nor during any portion of the school day that 'extends beyond the normal math period.' I essentially feel that I must work in an oppressive environment where I have no option but to 'slam the door' on any student requiring additional support with regards to mathematic instruction."

A second incident was a Nov. 14 confrontation with Flanagan, according to Ragusa's complaint. Flanagan, she wrote, again publicly berated her, among other things saying in front of a group of students that she would not be allowed to sign out of the classroom "for any reason, including doctors' appointment, during neither the 6th or any other period. As crowds of students drew closer, she expressed concern for the students' potential grades on the FCAT, and how my absences from class might affect their performance."

The conversation, wrote Ragusa, was in reference to recent absences due to a documented medical disorder. Ragusa complained that because she had a documented medical disability, Flanagan's refusal to allow her to sign out with consent "impedes my right to receive usual and customary medical treatment in the proper care of my handicapping condition."

She also complained that discussing a private medical issue in front of students was a violation of her rights.

Ragusa's third issue with Flanagan centered on her relations with male students.

After a student approached her wanting to complete a math test, Flanagan and another teacher "charged up to my classroom and confronted me in front of two students. Again, I was reprimanded out in the hall, with doors ajar, ELP classes in session, and other faculty gawking while exiting their classrooms at the end of the day. You disclosed aloud your perception of matters that occurred at previous schools, exclaiming, 'Haven't you had trouble with being alone with male students in the past?' I have since had to endure whispers from faculty wondering 'what happened to Ms. Ragusa at her last school.' "

School district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said she spoke with Flanagan about complaint, which was dismissed. In response to the first accusation, Cobbe said, Ragusa was alone with a student in a classroom following a fire drill and Flanagan maintains that she responded properly. Flanagan told Cobbe that she doesn't recall being inappropriate in the second incident. Flanagan claims the third allegation never happened.

Cobbe said the school district was aware Ragusa previously had conduct issues with students but was not aware of any sexual relationships.

"There was a pattern of inappropriate behavior," Cobbe said of Ragusa's teaching record before the investigation. "It was never anything that rose to the level of sex, but it was clear she didn't know her boundaries.

Editor Howard Altman contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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