The School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) has found itself back in the spotlight with state leaders. This time, however, it has to do with bullying accusations against Gainesville High School history teacher Lauren Watts.
The teacher has been placed on administrative leave after a parent told the State Board of Education at its Wednesday meeting that her older son’s history teacher “allowed students to label him a Naziphile, simply for his interest in World War II history and participation in ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps).”
Mainstreet reached out to Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) spokesperson Jackie Johnson Friday morning and received the following statement.
“The district is investigating the incident shared by Dr. (Crystal) Marull during the August 20 State Board of Education meeting. The employee involved has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is underway. In the meantime, any information about the incident is confidential under Florida Statute 231.291.”
On Thursday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier posted a letter on his Twitter/X account that was addressed to the school board and interim Superintendent Kamela Patton in reference to remarks made by a parent during the public comment period of Wednesday’s State Board of Education meeting.
The school board was already on the meeting agenda regarding claims that it violated a parent’s First Amendment rights at a contentious July 31 meeting in reference to a comment board Chair Sarah Rockwell made on her personal Facebook page about the July 24 death of pro wrestler Hulk Hogan.
The parent Uthmeier referenced in the letter – Marull – told the state board members about the incident in Watts’ classroom during the meeting.
Holding up a certificate at the lectern, Marull said the teacher later nominated her son “as the most likely to become a dictator,” adding Watts “had his classmates vote on it and try to force him to the front of the class to receive the certificate,” which he refused.
“All because of his conservative values and our perspectives,” Marull said.
In the letter, Uthmeier said that “Florida law prohibits bullying and harassment.”
“If these facts bear out – and we have no reason to doubt Dr. Marull’s veracity – then this teacher should be immediately terminated, and never allowed to teach again in Florida,” he wrote.
Several hours after Uthmeier posted his letter on social media, Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas posted an administrative complaint filed with the state’s Education Practices Commission (EPC) on his Twitter/X account.
In the complaint, Kamoutsas, the petitioner, accuses Watts of allowing students to “disparage” Marull’s son during the 2022-23 school year after his classmates suggested that he was a “Hitler sympathizer.”
Kamoutsas is suggesting the EPC “impose an appropriate sanction against [Watts] educator’s certificate.” The sanctions recommended by Kamoutsas may include a written reprimand, probation, restriction of Watts’ authorized scope of practice, an administrative fine, enrollment in the Recovery Network program, suspending Watts’ teaching certificate, determining that she is ineligible for certification, or barring Watts from reapplying for a teaching certificate for a period of time or permanently.
“A teacher chose to designate a student as the ‘most likely to become a dictator.’ A parent brought this issue to my attention. I immediately took action to investigate the issue. I found probable cause and will take every necessary action to ensure this teacher never teaches again,” Kamoutsas wrote on X, with pictures of the complaint below his text.
Marull commented on Kamoutsas’ post, saying: “Thank you Commissioner for defending our children when the school boards will not.”
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.