DeSantis administration poised to fire district superintendent for mandating masks in 2021
Jeremiah Poff
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The superintendent of a Florida school district could be forced out of his job by the state Department of Education, which has accused the school official of illegally mandating masks and making inappropriate political statements.
Earlier this month, Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz informed Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna he was under investigation for violating several state laws and executive orders and that he was in danger of losing his state educator certificate.
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The state informed Hanna he was entitled to seek a formal hearing, settle the complaint with the state, or voluntarily surrender his teaching credential, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Hanna said the investigation was launched in response to a complaint by the local chapter of the parent activist organization Moms for Liberty, which urged the governor to remove him from his position for a variety of reasons, including mandating masks in schools in defiance of state directives.
The complaint also reportedly accused Hanna of failing to maintain sufficient school safety officers as required by state law and allowing students to receive an excused absence to attend a February protest against the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for objecting to the College Board’s AP African American Studies course.
“Respondent’s encouragement, by offering a free day off from school, of student participation in a demonstration challenging the policies and decisions of the state agency charged with enforcing and interpreting the educational [statutes] and rules of the state of Florida is another example of Respondent failing to distinguish his political views from the standards taught in Florida schools,” the complaint says.
In a public statement, Hanna accused the state government of silencing him and violating his First Amendment rights to freedom of expression.
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“It’s a sad day for democracy in Florida, and the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, when a state agency with unlimited power and resources, can target a local elected official in such a biased fashion,” he said.
The Leon County superintendent was first elected to his position in 2016 and reelected in 2020. WFLA reported that he intends to run for reelection in 2024 regardless of the Department of Education’s actions.