Manatee school employee arrested after seeking sex with student, deputies say
A Manatee County school employee and assistant football coach at Bayshore High School was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly asking a student to have sex, officials say.
Parents of a 16-year-old student told deputies that Lagarius Spikes, 42, made sexually explicit comments to the student and solicited sex in his office, later sending explicit text messages, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said detectives gathered information from the victim that showed sexually explicit conversations and messages over the past week, including a recorded audio message. This evidence led detectives to charge Spikes with soliciting sexual battery by an authority figure.
Deputies arrested Spikes at his home in Palmetto early Tuesday morning and booked at the Manatee County Jail.
Spikes is a Graduation Enhancement Tech at Bayshore High School and an assistant football coach. He is listed as a coach for the school’s junior varsity team on MaxPreps.
According to a release from the sheriff’s office, Spikes was not involved in previous investigations with similar allegations.
Bayshore High School employee arrested
The School District of Manatee County was notified of the incident and immediately placed Spikes on administrative leave. The Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Abuse Hotline were also notified.
“We are fully cooperating with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and Child Protective Services as they conduct their investigation,” a spokesperson for the school district said in an email. “The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. The allegations in this case are deeply troubling and stand in direct opposition to the values of our school district. Counselors are available to support students and staff as needed.”
The district also notified Bayshore High School families and staff of the arrest on Tuesday.
The investigation is still ongoing, the sheriff’s department said.
This story was originally published November 18, 2025 at 12:17 PM.
