A Florida teacher is in legal trouble for allegedly allowing organized fights in her classroom, according to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities say 23-year-old Angel Drew Footman was a sixth-grade teacher at Griffin Middle School when she allegedly permitted the fights to take place during school hours. She faces criminal charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Florida 6th-grade teacher oversaw fights among girls in class, authorities say: A Florida teacher facilitated classroom fights among girls at her middle school, even announcing rules and warning students not to pull hair, authorities.. via NBCNews https://t.co/utsHk1TuVC
— Jeffrey Levin 🇺🇦 (@jilevin) April 11, 2023
Detective Hanna Perry reportedly wrote in an affidavit that “she made statements such as ‘30 seconds, no screaming, no yelling, no phones.” Footman allegedly asked two girls if they wanted to return to her room during her planning period to “run it back.”
In other words, fight again.
Despite admonishing the students to stay off their phones, parents quickly became aware of videos recorded by their children. Law enforcement officials say several videos were recorded March 22-23, and Footman is seen sitting at her desk and failing to intervene.
The Miami Herald reported that four girls shown fighting on camera said that Footman both planned and endorsed the skirmishes.
Court documents report a school resource deputy became aware of the videos on March 24.
When school administrators were shown the videos, several identified Footman’s voice in the background. The outlet said she could be heard telling students to “stop pulling hair” and “break it up.” Investigators found no reports of Footman notifying administrators of the fights.
Griffin Middle School’s website does not currently show her as being part of the school’s faculty or staff.
According to court documents, the ex-teacher told authorities that she did not organize fights but also did not call for help or take immediate action to intervene. She also admitted that she did not report the incidents to administrators.
A warrant was issued for Footman’s arrest on April 5 after a preliminary investigation. She reportedly turned herself in to the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office. She was arrested, booked on four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and released that same day.
Each count carries a sentence of up to a year of incarceration. Online court records report Footman is scheduled for arraignment on May 4.
