Duval County Public Schools had no problem shutting down an “Indecent” play at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts last year.
If only they would act so decisively to remove indecent teachers.
Four Douglas Anderson teachers were removed from classrooms due to inappropriate conduct with students during the 2022-23 academic year.
This happened under the watch of two different principals, and two, and now, a third Superintendent.
A solid case could be made that those removals only happened due to the arrest of former Douglas Anderson music teacher Jeffrey Clayton, longtime chair of the performing arts school’s vocal department.
His removal was not the result of a DCPS investigation over the numerous prior accusations and complaints filed against him, but as a result of his arrest, at the school campus, on charges of soliciting or engaging in lewd conduct with a student. That arrest was the culmination of a joint investigation between the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Clayton recently pleaded guilty to two counts of offenses against students by authority figures, indecent lewd or lascivious touching of minors, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device after his actions with a student in March 2023. Clayton faced up to 40 years in prison, but took a deal for 10 years, followed by 3 years probation.
Jax Examiner obtained documents, via a public records request, including a copy of Clayton’s termination letter from DCPS, which identifies four earlier sustained complaints; January 2006, March 2008, and in November 2016 and 2021.
Despite this DCPS continued to allow Clayton access to students.
Instead, “DCPS initiated a Title IX inquiry and provided supportive measures that included moving the student out of Mr. Clayton’s class and discussed the possibility of a no-contact contract.”
Clayton acted inappropriately, and or illegally, but it was the student who was penalized by being removed from a class that could have made the difference between obtaining a successful career in the Arts, or not.
Thankfully, now that all of this is out in the open, DCPS has learned, improved, and moved proactively toward keeping the students in their care safe.
Well, maybe not.
Feb. 24, 2024, a fifth Douglas Anderson teacher, Chris Allen-Black was arrested after several women saw him standing naked, and masturbating, in front of his hotel room window, overlooking the pool, at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
Allen-Black pleaded not guilty. He was released on $2,500 bond and his case continues to work its way through the court system.
Allen-Black was an Algebra teacher at Douglas Anderson.
Allen-Black failed to notify DCPS of his arrest, as required. After DCPS learned of his arrest, via law enforcement, it would be another month and a half before they took action.
DCPS shared this timeline of its investigation:
Feb. 27: Learns of arrest and opens investigation into Allen-Black.
Feb. 28: Notifies the Florida Department of Education.
March 11: Receives police report of Allen-Black’s arrest.
April 11: Removes Allen-Black from the classroom and teaching duties.
April 15: Reviews the case with the Office of General Counsel.
April 16: Reassigns Allen-Black to off-campus duties and no student contact.
April 17: Notifies families of students in Allen-Black’s classes.
April 26: Duval County Public Schools said it’s sorry for its handling of Allen-Black’s arrest, acknowledging that the arrested teacher should have been removed from his classroom sooner.
Oh, okay, DCPS said they were sorry, and they did investigate, and the teacher is out of the classroom. No worries. Right? Wrong!
Jax Examiner recently obtained documents, via a public records request, after waiting a much longer time than usual. Those documents paint a different picture than the one DCPS has presented.
According to the timeline that DCPS provided, they were not aware of Allen-Black’s arrest until Feb. 27. However, documentation provided shows that DCPS received notice from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement within hours of the arrest, on Feb. 24.
DCPS opened an investigation on Feb. 27.
A professional standards investigator was assigned the following day.
The investigator requested Allen-Black be immediately removed from his classroom and assigned temporary duty elsewhere. That request was denied.
March 11, the investigator received the full police report and again requested that Allen-Black be removed from the classroom. That request was also denied.
The documents we received do not identify who denied the DCPS investigator’s requests, or why.
DCPS has thus far not responded to Jax Examiner’s request for that detail, nor other information we requested via a second public records request.
This article will be updated if and when DCPS becomes more forthcoming.