Jacksonville Today

The Show Must Go On

Megan Mallicoat

This four-part investigation examines reports of sexual misconduct by teachers at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, a prestigious public school in Jacksonville, Florida. One teacher was arrested in 2023 for inappropriately touching and kissing a student. He had received repeated warnings and informal discipline for troubling behavior — such as angry outbursts, telling a student they looked “sexy” — for years before he was arrested.

Six teachers accused of sexual misconduct have left the school since that arrest, reporter Megan Mallicoat reported. For example, another male teacher had made lewd comments to students, but there was no school record of an investigation against him. Three years later, he was charged with sexual battery against a 12-year-old girl. He was found guilty of lesser charges, served 10 years of probation, and remains a registered sex offender.

There were at least six others from prior decades who had been accused of sexual misconduct against students and were removed or exited.

Mallicoat’s reporting exposes how school administrators allowed teachers to remain in the classroom despite inappropriate behavior. “This was an enormous undertaking with immediate and long-lasting impact”, a judge wrote. The series “sparked meaningful community discussion, helped people feel seen and heard, and drove real changes in policy and mindset that will improve lives.”