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Attorney asks Gadsden School Board to investigate alleged mismanagement of CTE program
Summary
An attorney representing a CTE teacher and the teachers' association asked the board to commission an independent review of alleged statutory violations and program mismanagement; the teacher testified his program generated substantial revenue and alleged retaliatory targeting by administrators.
An attorney for the Gadsden County Teachers Association told the School Board on Jan. 27 that a December memorandum alleges years of statutory rule violations and mismanagement tied to the district’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
Mark Levine, of the Law Office of Levine & Strivers, said he represents teacher Jamal Holt and urged the board to order an independent investigation of the matters detailed in the memorandum and accompanying letter. Levine said the office expects the board’s attorney to review the materials and that, if the district does not move quickly, he may refer the matter to the Florida Department of Education’s Auditor General or other state authorities.
The request was delivered during the public-comment portion of the meeting. Levine said the memorandum is “very, very specific,” and offered his office as the primary contact for any district official who wants to begin the review.
Holt later addressed the board directly and alleged he had been targeted by district administrators, naming Superintendent Elijah Key, Dr. Sonya Jackson and Dr. Sylvia Jackson. Holt said he had spent “years building a CTE program” that generated roughly $500,000 from his classroom annually and that operational decisions had hindered instruction (for example, relocating computers for testing). Holt said his rights were violated and asked the board to remedy the situation.
Superintendent Elijah Key previously referenced Florida Statutes 1012.27 and 1012.22 during the meeting when discussing staff transfers and authority for personnel recommendations; those statutes were cited by Key to explain the legal basis for transfers he said were made under his authority and to note that board approval is required by law.
Board members directed the attorney to route the documents through the district’s counsel for review; Chair Leroy McMillan said materials should be sent to Board Attorney Deborah Minnis, who will advise the board on next steps. Levine agreed to provide the materials directly to Minnis.
The board did not take an immediate action to open an independent investigation on the record during the meeting. Levine said that, absent a prompt internal or independent review, he was prepared to pursue external oversight avenues. The matter remains unresolved and dependent on the board attorney’s review and any subsequent direction from the board.
