Governor to decide on crackdown on criminally accused teachers
Teachers aren’t perfect. And up until now, the process to remove teachers accused of criminal offenses hasn’t been either.
That could change if Gov. Ron DeSantis approves legislation that has cleared the House. The measure would impose reporting requirements and mandate the removal of teachers accused of a wide variety of crimes detailed in Florida Statutes.
SB 1374, passed by the House in a unanimous vote after being substituted for the version carried by Republican Rep. Will Robinson, requires more detailed reporting on teachers accused of crimes effective July 1.
Teachers and administrators would be required to self-report the accusations within 48 hours of arrest, and would also be compelled to report convictions and rulings for any offense except a minor traffic violation in the same time frame.
Districts would have to remove the teachers from classrooms within 24 hours of the notification. Teachers would be suspended with pay and reassigned to duties where they don’t interact with students, with a disciplinary hearing required within a year of the removal from the classroom.
A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. His work also can be seen in the Washington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Times, and National Review, among other publications. He can be reached at AG@FloridaPolitics.com or on Twitter: @AGGancarski