A Baldwin Middle-Senior High School social studies teacher was pulled from campus Friday after his arrest on student-related charges that Duval County Public Schools described as "offenses against students by authority figures." The teacher, James Mulvey, has been removed from the classroom and reassigned to a position without student contact while law enforcement and district investigators dig into the allegations. Families were notified via a recorded call from Principal Mike Townsend, and the district stressed that Mulvey is presumed innocent while the investigations play out.
School message and arrest details
In his message to families, Principal Townsend told parents that Mulvey "was arrested this morning on multiple charges, including Authority Figure Solicits or Engages in a Romantic Relationship with a Student," and called the accusations "deeply concerning," according to News4Jax. The district later said the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed the specific charge as "offenses against students by authority figures" and noted that Mulvey has been reassigned while an internal Professional Standards review runs alongside a criminal investigation. School officials told families they would continue to share updates and repeated that student safety remains the district’s top priority.
What the charge covers
The charge stems from Florida Statute 800.101, which makes it illegal for an "authority figure" such as a teacher or other school employee to solicit or engage in sexual, romantic or lewd conduct with a student, according to the statute text. The law treats the power imbalance between staff and students as an aggravating factor and permits felony-level charges and enhanced penalties depending on what is alleged, per the Florida Senate.
Employment history and district action
District records and local reporting show Mulvey was first hired at Baldwin in October 2016, resigned in June 2022 and was rehired in October 2022, according to First Coast News. Duval County Public Schools says he has now been assigned to a non-student-facing role while both the criminal case and the internal Professional Standards investigation proceed, and the district has pledged to cooperate fully with law enforcement throughout the process.
A troubling run of personnel cases
Mulvey’s arrest is the latest in a string of personnel cases to hit Duval schools this spring. In April, a River City Science Academy teacher was arrested on charges that included soliciting a romantic relationship with a student, according to Jacksonville Today. Just last week, a former Sandalwood JROTC instructor was charged after video led to a child-abuse investigation, as reported by News4Jax. The rapid succession of cases has unsettled families and renewed scrutiny on how the district hires, vets and oversees adults in its classrooms.
Authorities have not yet released detailed public filings in Mulvey’s case, and local reporting indicated that jail and court records did not show new case documents by Friday evening, according to First Coast News. Duval County Public Schools says it will continue updating families as it works with investigators, and this story will be updated if additional information becomes publicly available.
