In a memo released today by Scott Strauss, Vice Chancellor of FDOE Office of Safe Schools, the Department alleges that the Douglass Anderson School failed to report the incident involving Jeff Clayton as required under Rule 6A-1.0017, F.A.C.; and 6A-19.008, F.A.C..  The full memo can be read below:

“Dear Superintendent Greene:

Recently, the Department’s Office of Safe Schools (OSS) learned that Mr. Jeff Clayton, a teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, was arrested and charged with a violation of section 800.101(2)(a), Florida Statutes, offenses against students by authority figures, including soliciting in or engaging in sexual conduct.

In your termination letter to Mr. Clayton, dated March 28, 2023, you conceded that the District substantiated earlier incidents from November 2016 and November 2021 where Mr. Clayton had “inappropriate physical contact with a student.”

With respect to the November 2021 incident, Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) substantiated a complaint made by a student that Mr. Clayton, “engaged in inappropriate physical contact and inappropriate communications with and/or in the presence of students when he placed his arm on the shoulder of a student, rubbed her back, and told her she was beautiful.”

DCPS initiated a Title IX inquiry and provided supportive measures that included moving the student out of Mr. Clayton’s class and discussed the possibility of a no-contact contract.

In November of 2021, the School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting rule (SESIR) defined Sexual Harassment as, “[u]nwanted verbal, nonverbal, or physical behavior with sexual connotations by an adult or student that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment, cause discomfort or humiliation or unreasonably interfere with the individual’s school performance or participation. See Rule 6A-1.0017, F.A.C.; and 6A-19.008, F.A.C.

OSS has reviewed the SESIR incidents reported by DCPS in the 2021-22 school year and has been unable to locate this incident. As you know, districts are required to report all SESIR incidents to the Department of Education.

Within five days of receipt of this letter, please confirm whether the District did or did not submit a SESIR incident report related to the substantiated allegation from November 2021. If the District did not submit a SESIR report for this incident, please explain why and what actions the District is taking to ensure that all SESIR incidents are reported appropriately.

Thank you

Memo to DCPS leadership by Scott Strauss, Vice Chancellor, FDOE Office of Safe Schools – April 19, 2023″

If you have a child who is a student at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts that may be a victim of lewd conduct or sexual harassment by a teacher or other faculty member, or if you previously attended Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and believe that you were a victim of lewd conduct or sexual harassment by a teacher or other faculty member, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. Victims of this type of conduct have rights and our sexual harassment attorneys in Jacksonville have extensive experience in protecting those rights.

If you feel that you have information that my be important or helpful in our attempts to protect the rights of current and former students of Douglas Anderson, our legal team is very interested in hearing what you have to say. We are interested in speaking with current and former students with first hand knowledge of lewd or inappropriate conversations or statements that may have witnessed by phone, by text or in person, lewd or inappropriate touching that may have been witnessed, or any physical and non-physical inappropriate actions that may have been witnessed. Any information that you can provide about this type of inappropriate conduct is greatly appreciated.

Email: DA@learnyourrights.com or Call (904) 358-3300