POLK COUNTY, Fla. – An assistant principal at Lake Marion Creek Middle School in Poinciana has been arrested following an investigation into alleged inappropriate conduct with a 13-year-old male student, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced.
Dr. Keiva Lark, 53, faces charges, including Lewd/Lascivious Conduct (a second-degree felony) and Lewd Offense against a Student by an Authority Figure (also a second-degree felony).
The investigation was initiated on April 4, 2025, after the principal of Lake Marion Creek Middle School promptly reported concerns regarding Dr. Lark’s interaction with the student to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). Both the Polk County School Board and the Florida Department of Children and Families were notified. Dr. Lark was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
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According to the PCSO investigation, which included statements from the victim and two witnesses, the incident occurred after the student was sent to Dr. Lark’s office for disciplinary reasons – specifically, throwing balled-up paper during a test. While in the office, Dr. Lark allegedly instructed the student to rub her feet, stating he didn’t have anything better to do with his hands. Witnesses reported she removed her shoes, placed her legs across the student’s lap, and directed him to massage her feet.
Further accounts state that Lark criticized the student’s technique and demonstrated her preferred massage method by rubbing the child’s arm and shoulder. A witness reported hearing Lark tell the student to rub her feet “like he loved her” and commented that she was doing this so he would “know what foreplay is for when he gets a girlfriend.”
Detectives were also told by a witness that Lark acknowledged several days after the incident that she “crossed the line.” During a forensic interview, the victim reported that Lark had previously referred to him as “Sexy Chocolate” in the school hallway.
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Initially, Dr. Lark told detectives the incident was intended as a “joke” to “humble the victim,” according to Sheriff Grady Judd. “It’s completely inappropriate for a 53-year old woman to act and talk like this to a middle school boy,” Sheriff Judd stated. “It’s even worse given that this was an assistant principal and her student.”
While Dr. Lark later admitted to investigators that her actions were inappropriate for her profession, she reportedly denied making the inappropriate comments described by the victim and witnesses.
Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Heid condemned the alleged actions, stating, “This is abhorrent behavior for anyone who works among students, especially an administrator. This person no longer has any business being around children. We commend the school principal for immediately reporting this incident, so we could take action and work with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to protect students.”
Dr. Lark remains on administrative leave.
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