Florida student kicked out of school for performing in porn

A Central Florida student who turned to pornography to help his family pay bills told Local 6 has been kicked out of his high school.

Robert Marucci makes no apologies for performing in porn and considers his work like any other job. Until two weeks ago, the 18-year-old was like any other high school senior, but he said when students at Cocoa High School discovered his videos on an adult website, they started showing each other his explicit pictures on their phones at school.

Marucci said he became the target of bullies, and now he said the school wants him gone.

“I feel like I have been treated unfairly and this is unjust,” Marucci said. “This was completely legal. I didn’t break any laws, and this took place out of the school.”

His mother, Melyssa Lieb, said she knew her son was working in adult films, adding that he took the roles to support her financially.

“I think he’s the most awesome person in the world,” she said. “He stood up and he was the man of the house when I couldn’t be.”

After word spread about his explicit pictures, Marucci said administrators expelled him, saying he was a major disruption. In a referral slip, administrators wrote that he threatened to brings weapons to the school — something he denies.

His mother believes the alleged threats were not the real reason behind his punishment.

Despite the allegations of threats, Lieb said the principal told her, “He was expelled due to his explicit lifestyle career.”

“I think that it is Dr. [Stephanie] Soliven’s morals and her personal beliefs and I don’t think that this is anybody’s business except for my son’s,” said Lieb. “The children at the school found it [the porn] and she didn’t do anything to stop it.”

Students reacted strongly to Marucci’s punishment. Dozens staged a walkout on Friday in support of their classmate, hoping to persuade the school to let him stay. Marucci said he was not involved in the walkout, but said it was orchestrated by his friends.

Now, the family wants an apology from the school. They said Marucci is a good student, never got in trouble before, and they want him to graduate in May.

District leaders declined to be interviewed, but a representative said they are still investigating and suggested Marucci violated the student code of conduct, but would not specify which rule he is accused of breaking.

Brevard County school leaders spoke out Tuesday. Michelle Irwin, spokesperson for the district, said, “No child would ever be suspended for a job that they have outside of the school environment.”

However, when Local 6 asked why then he was suspended, they won’t say, citing privacy laws.

“In this particular case, we had an investigation, which is now complete, and the student is welcomed to come back to talk to Dr. Sullivan about his educational options,” said Irwin.

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