A JV basketball coach has been arrested for an inappropriate relationship with a Central Florida student, which included sexually explicit messages and a threat to kill her.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit detectives arrested and charged 20-year-old Skylar Ready of Fort Meade, who is a Frostproof Middle and Senior High School JV basketball coach, with four felonies related to his illegal and inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student at the school.
The victim disclosed that she and Ready dated when they were both students at the school. She is still a student there. After Ready began working at the school he sent her sexually explicit messages, including a threat to “kill her” if she slept with anyone else.
“There is no excuse for this guy using his position of authority over a student sexually,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “This is completely unacceptable. We applaud Polk County Public Schools taking swift action regarding this coach. We discovered this inappropriate relationship because somebody became aware of it and contacted us. It is more important than ever that if you see or hear something, say something.”
Ready has been charged with: Sex offense on student by authority figure; Written threat to kill; Transmission of material harmful to a minor; Use of two-way communication device in commission of a felony; and Lewd battery, according to Florida law enforcement.
“Skylar Ready has been the JV boys basketball coach at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School since the 2022-23 season,” Polk County Public Schools said in a statement. “He passed a background check before serving as a community coach, and will no longer have any involvement with Polk County Public Schools.”
“This individual’s actions show an alarming lack of judgement as a coach working with student athletes,” Superintendent Fred Heid added. “This behavior is not tolerated in our schools; we appreciate the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for investigating this matter and protecting our students.”
