Commissioner Manny Diaz sent this letter in response to DCPS' response to Christopher Allen-Black, who was cleared to teach after more than a month after his arrest.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Department of Education Secretary Manny Diaz says he is concerned about the safety of Duval County Public Schools students.
Diaz sent a letter Thursday to DCPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Dana Krizner.
He wants answers as to why DCPS allowed Douglas Anderson teacher Christopher Allen Black to continue teaching for more than a month after he was arrested on suspicion of exposing himself at a Disney World hotel. Stated.
“I must express my concern about the lack of progress and action on numerous issues impacting the health, safety, and well-being of Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) students,” Diaz said in a statement. “I am committed to making this commitment a priority. “That's important,” he said in part. About his letter.
One of the issues Diaz mentioned is how school districts report allegations of teacher misconduct.
“I think his letter is very thought-provoking. We're having the same conversation he had a year ago,” said Douglas Anderson alumna Shaila Jenkins. .
On April 25, 2023, Diaz sent a letter to then-DCPS Superintendent Dr. Diana Green.
“We express grave concern” about DCPS's lack of reporting.
Diaz said the district failed to report dozens of incidents in a timely manner, including a past investigation into Douglas Anderson's former teacher, Jeffrey Clayton.
Clayton recently pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a student.
The Office of Inspector General investigated DCPS and found that the agency was not reporting cases in a timely manner.
The findings were shared with DCPS on February 1, 2024, according to the Department of Education.
On February 21, 2024, the district learned that Allen Black, another Douglas Anderson teacher, had been arrested.
“This should have been addressed sooner and professionally,” Jenkins said.
But Allen Black remained in the classroom until April 11.
In a letter to Kriznar on Thursday, Diaz called Allen-Black's response “unacceptable.”
“This is an internal problem within the school district, and those who continue to tolerate this need to be identified and fired,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins is concerned about the lack of accountability.
“My concern is that the superintendents are leaving, and the people who need to be held accountable, fired, and fired may never leave.”
Diaz said in the letter that Krizner has five days to respond on what steps he will take to immediately address the issue.
first coast news We have contacted DCPS after hours and are awaiting their response to Thursday's letter.
Dear Interim Superintendent Krizner:
We are concerned about the lack of progress and action on numerous issues affecting the health, safety, and well-being of Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) students. It is important to prioritize this responsibility.
As previously shared, DCPS reported a total of 73 incidents to the Florida Department of Education's Office of Professional Practice Services (PPS) in April 2023. Because these incidents date back to 2020 and spanned three different schools. It has been for several years and he was not previously reported to PPS.
On April 25, 2023, I wrote to Superintendent Diana Greene stating that it is completely unacceptable that DCPS did not promptly report the incident as required by Florida law. This led the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to investigate her late reporting in violation of Florida Statutes (FS) Section 1012.796(1)(d)1. On January 25, 2024, OIG released Investigative Report 2023-0003 stating that DCPS reported suspected teacher misconduct to PPS as required by Section 1012.796, F.S., and Duval County Board of Education Policy 6.80. I proved that there was no such thing.
On February 1, 2024, I sent a letter informing you of the OIG's findings and shared it as C.Commissioner of Education, my top priority is protecting Florida's students. You noted that DCPS is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of our students. However, on February 24, 2024, the educator learned that one of his boyfriends, Christopher Allen Black, had been arrested and charged with exposing his genitals. You have chosen to allow Mr. Allen Black to remain in the classroom until April 11, 2024, rather than immediately removing him from direct contact with his students. This is unacceptable.
It is clear that there is more work to be done in your district. Your failure to address these pressing concerns shows that you are not prioritizing the well-being of your students, parents, and educators who rely on you to ensure a safe and continuing learning environment. Masu.
I am reaching out to express my concerns about these issues. We expect a response within five days of receiving this communication outlining what steps we will take to immediately address these issues.