JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville’s branch of the NAACP released a statement Friday morning putting their support behind Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene.
Superintendent Greene is facing backlash and possible removal after a Douglas Anderson teacher was arrested for lewd lascivious behavior. Complaints about Jeffrey Clayton, the arrested teacher, span back nearly two decades, and Florida’s Department of Education called the handling of the case “completely unacceptable.”
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In their statement, the NAACP defends Greene, claiming that since she came in as superintendent in 2018, she inherited a lot of the issues and may not have known about them due to Douglas Anderson’s underreporting of Clayton’s behavior. They said that they believe the call for her removal is politically motivated and mention her successes, including passing school referendums, increasing teacher pay and being named Florida’s 2021 Superintendent of the Year.
“The NAACP Jacksonville Branch has always found Dr. Greene to be a leader of the highest integrity who places students’ interests at the forefront of her decision-making,” NAACP Branch president Isaiah Rumlin stated.
NAACP Jacksonville addresses the School Board at the end of their letter, calling it to “abandon the political tactics or witch hunts.” Rather, they said the School Board should focus on the people who failed to address the complaints for years.
RELATED: New documents reveal former Douglas Anderson teacher had several complaints prior to recent arrest
The Duval County School Board postponed a meeting that was originally scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. Chairwoman Dr. Kelly Coker released the following statement:
“At the request of the Office of General Counsel, the special meeting of the Duval County School Board scheduled for today (April 28, 2023) has been postponed due to pending legal matters.
“I will provide information about rescheduling the meeting after further consultation with the Office of General Counsel.”
Action News Jax will continue to follow the story and update you as events unfold.
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