Florida teacher under fire by state over ‘Dictator’ award given to student

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Florida leaders targeted an Alachua County teacher on Thursday after accusations arose of a student being targeted over his political beliefs.

The allegations were originally brought up by a mother at a State Board of Education meeting earlier this week.

During the meeting, the mother — who identified herself as Crystal Marull — said that her son was targeted by a teacher at Gainesville High School.

“My older son’s history teacher allowed students to label him a ‘Naziphile’ simply for his interest in history and participation in ROTC,” she said. “She later nominated my son for ‘Most Likely to Become a Dictator’ and had his classmates vote on it and try to force him to the front of the class to receive the certificate, which he rightly refused.”

While Marull testified before the board, she held up the certificate, which read “Ms. Watts’ Class Superlatives 2023.”

“All because of his conservative values and our perspectives,” she finished.

Footage of her testimony went viral, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier took to social media to weigh in on the issue.

“If these facts bear out, then this teacher should be immediately terminated and never allowed to teach again in Florida,” he wrote. “Parents and students in Alachua deserve better.”

Uthmeier wrote a letter to the Alachua County School Board, lecturing that teachers are prohibited from harassing students on the basis of their political beliefs.

“This teacher violated Florida law, the School Board’s policy, and no less than six ethical principles,” the letter reads. “Her teacher’s certificate must be revoked.”

Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas also revealed on Thursday evening that he’d investigated the issue, identifying the teacher as Lauren Watts.

“I found probable cause and will take every necessary action to ensure this teacher never teaches again,” he said.

Kamoutsas released an administrative complaint aimed at Watts, which listed out several rule violations, including the following:

• Gross immorality or an act of moral turpitude

• Personal conduct that seriously reduces a person’s effectiveness as an employee of the district

• Violating the BOE’s Principles of Professional Conduct

• Failing to make a reasonable effort to protect a student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student’s mental health

• Intentionally exposing a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement

• Harassing or discriminating against a student on the basis of political beliefs

• Failing to take reasonable precautions to distinguish between personal views and those of any educational institution or organization with which the individual is affiliated

The complaint was filed with the Education Practices Commission, which Kamoutsas urged to sanction Watts.

According to the complaint, such a sanction could involve a written reprimand, probation, a fine, suspension, revocation of her educator’s certificate, or even a combination thereof.

No additional information about the incident has been provided at this time.