Parents and staff press Seminole school board over Sable Point employee incident and delayed notification

Parents, teachers and other residents pressed the Seminole County Public Schools board on Oct. 7 over the district’s handling of a paraprofessional at Sable Point Elementary who reported violent thoughts to the school resource deputy. Speakers said they were not told for days and demanded changes to hiring, reporting and notification policies.

Why it matters: Parents said the district’s communication practices left families and staff unsure about students’ safety, and several asked the board to change background-check and notification rules to make it harder for employees with concerning histories to work in schools.

Parents and school staff characterized the delay in notification as dangerous and called for greater transparency. “You tied their hands and refused to allow them to say anything that would have and could have managed any potential threat,” Emily Reardon, who identified herself as a Sable Point parent and Sable Point PTA president, told the board. She said district leaders relied wrongly on HIPAA and other privacy justifications to withhold information from parents during the 10‑day period after the incident became known to the district.

Multiple parents and staff said the employee — identified in public comments as “Mr.…