Martin County superintendent recommends principal reassigned for remainder of 12 months
Firstly of the varsity 12 months, there have been three incidents the place college students on the college have been suspected or found with nicotine vape units.
In response to a Sheriff’s Workplace report, the scholars have been taken to an space the place they have been requested to drop their pants.
In September, he was reassigned as a part of what’s being known as a “skilled requirements” investigation.
On the time, the Martin County Sheriff advised WPTV there was questionable conduct on this case, however no criminality, and that the varsity useful resource deputy was not concerned within the preliminary searches.
On Monday, the varsity district launched its personal inside investigation.
A letter from the superintendent mentioned the principal engaged in “misconduct in workplace, incompetency, and willful neglect of responsibility.”
“We undergo a course of to find out what the info are,” district spokeswoman Jennifer DeShazo mentioned. “What are the info of what occurred. Does it assist what was alleged? Does it not assist what was alleged? That’s what occurred right here.”
The district discovered that Aitken was current for one of many searches the place a pupil mentioned he was advised to drop his pants.
That pupil advised the investigator that he didn’t keep in mind who advised him to take off his pants however added, “I’ve been searched at college earlier than and it was not like that. So was that improper? Nobody will inform me.”
The coed confirmed Aitken was within the room when the search occurred.
The superintendent’s letter added he felt Aitken was “lower than truthful within the info you offered to investigators.”
“There have been violations of not solely college board coverage but additionally Florida educator skilled conduct principals,” DeShazo mentioned.
WPTV reached out to Aitken and his legal professional. They didn’t reply to us immediately, however we obtained an electronic mail, and different correspondence Aitken despatched to the district after he acquired the district’s investigation..
In them, Aitken mentioned the proposed penalties are a private and baseless assault and that he’s fully harmless.
He claims by no means to have seen the scholar with out their pants on.
There are additionally digital notations made within the investigative report, refuting the allegations.
The district is standing by its findings.
“We in the end on the finish of the day wish to do all the things potential to guard college students and let households know that we’re holding our workers to the best ranges of integrity that’s anticipated of them by the varsity district and the state of Florida,” DeShazo mentioned.
Past the yearlong reassignment for the principal, three different college workers, an assistant principal, the dean of pupil companies and the instructor who additionally participated within the searches, face self-discipline starting from letters of reprimand to reporting violations to the state Division of Training to reassignment.
Once more, there have been no felony prices.
