A Yulee Elementary School teacher has been fired after a student's mother said a video caught him spitting on her son. The Nassau County School District confirmed that John Earle was let go at a School Board meeting earlier this month over the reported incident, capping off weeks of suspension while officials investigated the mother's claim.
The boy's mother said a teacher spit on her son, according to News4JAX. The district confirmed that Earle was fired at the School Board meeting on Oct. 8 specifically because of that reported incident.
Earle had already been off the job for more than a month by that point. The station reports he had been suspended since Sept. 1 while an investigation was conducted.
What Investigators Haven't Said
Several basic questions remain unanswered in the case so far. The reporting does not include the video itself, nor does it independently verify what the footage shows beyond the mother's account. There is also no public response yet from Earle, and the district has not detailed its investigation findings or spelled out the specific basis for the firing beyond its connection to the reported incident.
Criminal exposure is also unclear. The Nassau County Sheriff's Office said it is not involved in investigating the incident, and the same report notes the outlet was reaching out to school district police and the State Attorney's Office to find out whether charges would be filed.
How Florida Law Treats Battery and Teacher Discipline
Florida law defines battery to include intentionally touching or striking another person against that person's will, or intentionally causing bodily harm, according to Florida Statutes § 784.03. The statute generally classifies battery as a first-degree misdemeanor, subject to its own exceptions, though nothing in the available record establishes that a battery offense occurred in this case.
Separately, state law gives Florida's Education Practices Commission authority to suspend or revoke an educator's certificate for specified grounds, including incompetence, certain misconduct, or violations of professional-conduct rules, per Florida Statutes § 1012.795. Whether any certificate action has been pursued against Earle has not been reported.
A Prior Case Involving a Yulee Educator
This is not the first time a Yulee school employee has faced a parent or student complaint that drew scrutiny from authorities. Back in February 2020, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office looked into a Yulee Middle School math teacher and softball coach after a student on the softball team reported receiving inappropriate texts from him and alleged he touched her buttocks, the station's earlier report noted. The coach had already resigned from the district after the investigation began but before it closed.
That earlier case resolved through resignation rather than termination, a different outcome than what's played out with Earle. The outlet has said it plans to speak with the boy's mother directly and update its reporting with her comments as the Yulee Elementary case continues to develop.
