Florida’s State Board of Education issued a sweeping condemnation of the Alachua County School Board on Wednesday, accusing administrators in Gainesville of fostering a “toxic culture,” ignoring safety and reporting requirements and tolerating social media posts that mocked the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said the state has monitored Alachua County after repeated complaints of parental rights violations, disorderly public meetings and unprofessional conduct. He presided over the state board’s meeting in Fort Walton Beach in the Panhandle.
“We continue to be concerned about the toxic culture that has infiltrated school board meetings in Alachua County, as parents have been targeted simply for voicing their conservative opinions,” Kamoutsas said.
Alachua County – one of the few counties in Florida that routinely skews Democratic in elections due to progressive voters in Gainesville and on the University of Florida's campus – has long been targeted by the DeSantis administration.
The governor previously appointed a Republican sheriff during a vacancy, ousted a school board member and replaced her with a Republican appointee, tried unsuccessfully to seize control of the city's utility and directed his cost-cutting auditors to scrutinize the city's spending for any wasteful practices.
Safety and accountability concerns
Alachua County was the only district in Florida that failed to submit its School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting data, which tracks violent or disruptive incidents, Kamoutsas said.
“We have an entire county of students potentially at risk from a board that refuses to comply with state law,” Board Chair Ryan Petty said.
The board also criticized the Alachua County school district for delaying teacher pay negotiations, which state law requires by Oct. 1. Last year, talks stretched into April.
“I expect the Alachua County School District to make rapid progress to ensure teachers receive their raises immediately,” Kamoutsas said.
Conduct and leadership under scrutiny
State officials cited examples of misconduct in Alachua County school classrooms and at board meetings. A parent reported her son was given a “most likely to become a dictator” award by a teacher. The Office of Professional Practices Services investigated and found cause to revoke the teacher’s certification.
Vice Chair Tina Certain drew condemnation for a social media post about Kirk, calling him an “uneducated white boy” who was “glorified” through government support. Kamoutsas called her remarks “especially egregious.”
Chair Sarah Rockwell also faced criticism for a now-deleted post celebrating the death of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.
Several state board members said the Alachua County school district’s situation had reached a crisis level. One suggested Certain be summoned to explain her post, while others pushed for her removal.
“Quite frankly, I am of the opinion that somebody who would write that and post it on Facebook doesn’t belong on a state board or any district board,” Petty said.
Dustin Sims, the state’s executive director of school improvement, described a Sept. 2 Alachua County Public School board meeting as lacking structure and decorum.
The condemnation came amid outrage over social media reactions to Kirk’s death earlier this month. Kamoutsas described the 31-year-old as a “dedicated Christian and devoted family man” who was killed at a school near thousands of students.
He denounced educators who celebrated Kirk’s death, announcing plans to revoke the license of a Clay County teacher who posted, “This may not be the obituary we were all hoping to wake up to, but this is a close second for me.” The district fielded more than 500 complaints and added security at schools.
“These posts were selfish, vile and pure evil,” Kamoutsas said. “We will not allow a culture that glorifies violence in schools here in Florida.”
Despite the controversy, state officials pointed to improvements elsewhere. Of 85 schools that earned D or F grades last year, 82% rose to a C or higher, with some moving up to an A or B. Florida was again ranked No. 1 for “education freedom” by the Heritage Foundation, which evaluates choice, civics and transparency.
Still, Kamoutsas said the Alachua County school district stood out for repeated failures.
“There are 67 school districts in this state, and while I’m certain they’re not perfect, there’s only one that is failing repeatedly in its mission,” he said. “We do not take that lightly.”
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