JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public Schools said it's sorry for its handling of Chris Allen-Black, a Douglas Anderson teacher who arrested after being seen exposing himself at a hotel in Disney World.
"I want to express my apology to you regarding the decision to leave Mr. Allen-Black in the classroom so long after we became aware of his arrest. In hindsight, the decision to pull him from the classroom should have been immediate given the nature of the charge against him," DCPS Superintendent Dr. Dana Kriznar, said, in part, in a message to Douglas Anderson parents.
Here is a timeline provided by DCPS:
- Feb. 24: Allen Black was arrested.
- Feb. 27: The district learned about his arrest and started an investigation.
- March 11: DCPS obtained the police report.
- April 11: Allen-Black was removed from the classroom.
Allen-Black was removed from the classroom 45 days after the district learned about his arrest.
"I mean, it just boggles my mind how messed up the situation is, and how the district fumbled the ball completely, on removing him from the classroom," Douglas Anderson alum, Shyla Jenkins, said.
Since March 2023, Allen-Black is the fifth Douglas Anderson teacher removed from the classroom, including Jeffrey Clayton.
“I can't tell you how many emails, text messages, pings that I got, my phone blew up like did you know, I can't believe this is happening again, it's déjà vu," Jenkins said.
Wednesday, Clayton pleaded guilty to felony charges for his interactions with students.
His arrest triggered an investigation into how the school and district look into inappropriate actions with students.
“We have nothing more than we did a year ago," Jenkins said.
DCPS says a comprehensive plan to address the situation at DA is being prepared.
Jenkins has been trying to get answers from the district about its investigation.
Friday, she met with school board member Cindy Pearson. Douglas Anderson is in Pearson's district.
“She was very forthcoming with what she could tell me and that she's had very strong conversations with staff. She takes pride in her schools," Jenkins said.
Jenkins said she’ll continue to push for answers for alum and current students.
“One thing that we've tried this last year is to talk about to change the culture, save the school, and change the culture, that school is an amazing school for these kids," Jenkins said.
State senator Clay Yarborough has also been pushing for answers from the investigation into Douglas Anderson.
He sent First Coast News the following statement:
"While I am thankful it appears an effort has been made to send communication to parents related to the most recent issue, I call on DCPS and COJ OGC to immediately release the results of the taxpayer-funded investigation into the 2023 scandal that the Superintendent and School Board were briefed on. To do so could help give parents and the public confidence that whatever responsive measures DCPS plans to implement are sufficient."
Dr. Kriznar's full message to Douglas Anderson parents is below:
Dear Douglas Anderson families,
I want to express my apology to you regarding the decision to leave Mr. Allen-Black in the classroom so long after we became aware of his arrest. In hindsight, the decision to pull him from the classroom should have been immediate given the nature of the charge against him. Additionally, following our normal procedures, only this teacher’s students’ families were notified. Given the current situation at the school, we should have informed all of you. Our goal is always to do what is in the best interest of students and families, and in this case, we did not meet that goal. For that I apologize, and I assure you that we have learned from this experience.