Just days after a former teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts pleaded guilty to felony charges involving a student, the Duval County Schools Superintendent apologized for leaving another teacher in the classroom for weeks after he was arrested in Orlando.
involving a student, the Duval County Schools Superintendent apologized for leaving another teacher in the classroom for weeks after he was arrested in Orlando.and accused of exposing himself in a Disney hotel room in view of the resort pool, but he wasn’t removed from the classroom until April 11.
Parents of students in his classes were notified of his arrest and removal on April 17.Allen-Black was the fifth teacher to be removed from the classroom at the school since 2023 amid different investigations.pleaded guilty Wednesday to four felony counts related to touching and kissing a student during a one-on-one music lesson last spring. This week, News4JAX learned concerns about student safety at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts have prompted a federal lawsuit, as well as a letter from state Sen. Clay Yarborough demanding answers on district policy regarding the arrest of an employee and parent notification, accountability and safeguards for students.“I write today out of serious concern for the immediate safety of Duval County students, particularly those at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts,” Yarborough wrote.“More than one year has passed since new information surfaced about faculty being involved in scandalous activity with students at Douglas Anderson, yet no response has been provided by the district to the public on the investigation that was initiated,” he wrote.into how Douglas Anderson and the district handle misconduct allegations. The school board initiated that investigation last year after accusations that claims of misconduct at DA were brushed aside for years.‘My high school hell’: Letters from former Douglas Anderson students detail years of anguish involving accused teacher Earlier this month, Duval County School Board Chair Darryl Willie said in a public meeting that school board members had been briefed on the investigation but had been advised not to share that information due to ongoing litigation. “As part of that briefing, we did talk about some suggestions and changes and improvements, and so the district admin as well as are working together to review and implement those appropriate changes,” Willie said. “As a graduate of, of Duval County Schools, it’s really hard to see all of this, but for the sake of the students, we have to do better,” Sen. Yarborough told News4JAX Thursday. “Parents are demanding answers. Students deserve better.”“We saw the news last week, the coverage that News4JAX did, about the teacher who had been arrested in February and was still in the classroom. That, for me, was really the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said. A spokesperson for Duval County Public Schools said the superintendent, to whom the letter was addressed, will be responding to Sen. Yarborough’s letter soon. Also on Friday, the school district clarified the timeline surrounding Allen-Black’s removal from the classroom, writing: Last week we released a statement to some of you that may have been unintentionally misleading. The statement was: Initially, the district followed protocol regarding a misdemeanor arrest and failure to report it to the district, while we sought guidance from the Office of General Counsel. Families were notified on April 17, the day after the district completed its formal process for removing a teacher. Upon review of that statement with the Office of General Counsel, it would be more accurate to have said: Initially, the district followed protocol regarding a misdemeanor arrest and failure to report it to the district. Then, we sought guidance from the Office of General Counsel. Families were notified on April 17, the day after the district completed its formal process for removing a teacher.1. We opened our investigation on Feb. 27 when we learned of his arrest.3. We received the police report on the incident on March 11.5. The district reviewed the situation with OGC on April 15. 6. Based on OGC guidance, we formally reassigned him on April 16 to duties off campus and with no student contact.I apologize that our original statement lacked this clarity.On Friday, Duval County Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Dana Kriznar also issued an apology, writing to Douglas Anderson families: “In hindsight, the decision to pull him from the classroom should have been immediate given the nature of the charge against him. Additionally, following our normal procedures, only this teacher’s students’ families were notified. Given the current situation at the school, we should have informed all of you. Our goal is always to do what is in the best interest of students and families, and in this case, we did not meet that goal. For that I apologize, and I assure you that we have learned from this experience.” “While I am thankful it appears an effort has been made to send communication to parents related to the most recent issue, I call on DCPS and COJ OGC to immediately release the results of the taxpayer-funded investigation into the 2023 scandal that the Superintendent and School Board were briefed on. To do so could help give parents and the public confidence that whatever responsive measures DCPS plans to implement are sufficient,” Yarborough told News4JAX on Friday. Meanwhile, court records show the district is scheduled to go to mediation in June for a federal lawsuit brought by a former DA student alleging a toxic education environment and sexual harassment by Clayton. The district did not respond to News4JAX’s questions Friday about when the findings from the outside law firm’s investigation will be completed and released.
Jacksonville DCPS Education Douglas Anderson School Of The Arts Douglas Anderson Jeffrey Clayton
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