JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has obtained new documents showing former Douglas Anderson teacher Corey Thayer, who was accused of inappropriate contact with students last year, had a history of complaints before ever coming to Duval.
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Action News Jax uncovered those complaints in Thayer’s personnel file from his time working in Orange County Public Schools.
The first complaints were filed in 1999 by multiple students, who accused Thayer of flirting with female students, and even “snapping girls’ bra straps”.
Thayer denied the allegations and the district deemed the allegations to be “unfounded”.
Thayer faced another round of complaints in 2005 related to a trip to Baltimore.
Witnesses accused Thayer of getting drunk at the airport, swearing, and “making comments about peoples’ mothers and sisters”.
There didn’t appear to be any determination made by OCPS in that case.
The last round of allegations was filed in 2007, when several witnesses accused Thayer of sexually harassing employees at a restaurant, with some witnesses even reporting he “pinched the owner’s nipple” and used racial slurs.
Thayer was temporarily suspended as a result of that incident and resigned shortly after, noting he was moving.
“It’s obviously a concern that we had hired him here in Duval County,” said Vice Chair of the Duval County School Board April Carney (District 2).
Carney argued the personnel file is especially concerning, as Thayer still has a valid teaching certificate.
She’s been working to help the Florida Department of Education get up to speed on Thayer’s case in hopes of getting his certificate revoked to prevent him from moving on to yet another school district.
“If you have a teaching certificate in the State of Florida, wherever we have reciprocity, a teacher can go and get a job in another public school district throughout the country. So, it’s definitely a concern to me,” said Carney.
As for how Thayer was hired in the first place given his prior record, that decision predates Carney’s tenure.
But she did note improvements have been made to the district’s hiring process over the last year.
“And so I applaud the district for taking strides and this board for being adamant about making sure that our students are in a safe and appropriate learning environment,” said Carney.
Thayer has not been criminally charged as a result of any of the allegations made against him, but he did recently reach a settlement with the district and the alleged victim’s family.
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