Former Buckeye middle school teacher had ‘pajama parties’ with students, Buckeye police say

BUCKEYE, AZ (AZFamily) – A former middle school teacher in Buckeye is accused of letting a 12-year-old student stay overnight at his home on several occasions, even though he does not have a daughter.

Brendan Barnett, 36, a social studies teacher at Verrado Middle School, lied to the girl’s parents and said he was the father of a student who would attend the pajama parties, police reported.

According to investigators, he was alone with the victim at least three times in his home in Phoenix.

Litchfield Elementary School District officials called police on April 12 after learning of potentially inappropriate chats between Barnett and a minor child on the school’s online communications portal.

In an email to parents, the school district said Barnett was subsequently removed from the classroom and placed on leave.

He was later charged with seducing a minor for sex and three counts of kidnapping, police said.

Officers and the U.S. Marshals Service found and arrested Barnett on Wednesday at a Phoenix library on 15th Avenue, just south of Bethany Home Road, police said.

Barnett has since been fired from his job.

His bail was set at $100,000.

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