Manatee School Board accepts resignation of employee 'while under investigation' after public accusations of misconduct

The Manatee County School Board voted 4-1 on April 29 to accept an employee's resignation "while under investigation" after public comment alleging that a fifth-grade teacher at B.D. Gullet Elementary School engaged in repeated inappropriate conduct toward students.

The action followed a series of public comments by parents and community members who said they had raised concerns with district staff and asked the board to prioritize student safety. Anne Mitchell, a parent who said her 11-year-old daughter was affected, described the conduct in detail and urged the board to pursue termination rather than accept a resignation.

"This teacher engaged in serious and egregious misconduct involving my daughter and other students at B. D. Gullet Elementary School," Mitchell said during public comment. "These were sustained violations of the most basic teacher standards of trust and safety. ... Termination was and remains the necessary and rightful response."

Mitchell and other speakers, including a grandfather who said his family had not been informed about the employee's resignation, told the board they were concerned about transparency and about the district's decisions in how to handle the allegations.

Superintendent Weisong told the board he recommended that the board accept the resignation while the Office of Professional Standards and any external agencies complete their investigations. "Our practice is to accept the…