Duval to discipline teachers: one accused of pushing student's head onto desk, another brought...

Duval to discipline teachers: one accused of pushing student's head onto desk, another brought stun gun to school

A teacher accused of pushing a second-grade student’s forehead onto a desk and another accused of bringing a stun gun to school are among six Duval County school employees facing suspension or firing at the School Board meeting April 5. Jonathan Walker, a teacher at Reynolds Lane Elementary, faces a possible 30-day suspension without pay for getting angry enough at students to push one boy’s head down onto a desk, causing a “red bruise” and for threatening another student with his belt, a district investigative report says. Walker, who has worked in Duval schools since 2007, shows mostly effective and ...

Wanda Womack, a 24-year teaching veteran, also faces a possible 30-day suspension without pay. She teaches first grade at Joseph Finegan Elementary and has mostly effective and highly effective work ratings. She also carried a stun gun in her purse for protection. On Feb. 12, a first-grade boy sneaked the weapon out of her purse and took it home. He later zapped a finger on his right hand, leaving a mark. He and his mother returned it to the school, where Womack identified it as hers. Duval school police said they may seek criminal charges against Womack. It is a ...

The School Board also is considering whether to fire or suspend a security guard, Larry Summers, who last May pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges, including driving under the influence and driving with a suspended a license. In December, he also pleaded guilty to one felony charge for fleeing police and reckless driving. Summers had prior discipline issues. The district investigated him in 2013 and 2014 for allegedly inappropriate relationships with female students, but both times the allegations were not proven.

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