A Manatee County elementary school teacher is the subject of an ongoing investigation after being accused of engaging in inappropriate conduct with an 11-year-old student. The teacher from B.D. Gullett Elementary has resigned amid the allegations which came to light after the student's mother, Anne Mitchell, also a teacher at the same school, found a concerning two-page letter.
The letter, discovered on the student's vanity, included phrases such as "You know I truly love you no matter what, that will never change," and was signed by the teacher, according to WFLA. The case has prompted the Manatee County Sheriff's Office to consider harassment-related charges connected to bullying, as well as an examination of communication records and surveillance footage showing the teacher and the student together on several occasions.
Superintendent Dr. Jason Wysong conveyed that the employee was immediately removed from student contact once allegations were reported, as per a statement to 10 Tampa Bay. The School Board of Manatee County has since accepted the resignation of Jarrett Williams, which is effectively on par with a termination, leaving a mark on his employment file that flags him as "Do Not Rehire."
During a school board meeting, the student's mother made a public statement detailing the letter's inappropriate nature and the alarm it raised for her as a parent. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office, in cooperation with the local district and the Florida Department of Education, is investigating the allegations, with particular focus on an incident captured in surveillance footage showing the teacher and student entering a classroom alone. The preliminary inquiries have also revealed the teacher's purported habit of recording the student during school activities, the Observer reported.
Although the teacher has not been formally charged, the School District of Manatee County has issued a statement confirming that following the reports of the letter, Williams was reassigned away from students and appropriate authorities, including the Department of Children and Families, were notified. Anne Mitchell, the mother of the student, has maintained that resignation is insufficient and has called for justice, urging for the case to be taken more seriously.
