A Teacher, 15 Students At Kathleen High School Face Charges In Violent Protest: Report

LAKELAND, FL — A teacher and 15 students at Kathleen High School in Lakeland face charges after a protest calling for the principal's termination turned violent, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Polk County Public Schools District hired Daraford Jones as principal of Kathleen High School in April following the death of 47-year-old Principal Johnnie Jackson, the Ledger reported. Students told the outlet that their dress code had been changed and classroom doors were locked when the bell rang, and late students had to attend in-school suspension instead of being allowed in the classroom. Monday morning, 200 students gathered outside the high school and chanted, "Jones gotta go."

According to WFLA, the protests were incited by a social studies teacher, Tomaris Hill, who had been employed with the school for about five years. An affidavit said Hill started posting videos to social media about Jones weeks prior to the protest. Hill is accused of posting, "Mr. Jones, we don't want you here at Kathleen. Help our kids at Kathleen High School School! They're crying out for your help and support of unfair treatment by this principal."

The TV outlet said that Hill sent a text message Sunday morning to a group he advises at the school saying there would be a protest at Kathleen on Monday morning. “The goal is to block off traffic from getting into school to make the street backup,” the affidavit said his text message read. He is also accused of telling others to block traffic from getting to the school resulting a street backup.

"Some of the concerns that were originally expressed by students and those misrepresented by one of the adults on campus were patently false,” Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid said Monday on Facebook.

According to a statement from Heid, Hill left when law enforcement began to calm the protesters, leaving the students to face the consequences.

He was arrested in Orange County on Monday night on charges related to conspiring to interfere with the education process and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, both misdemeanors, according to WFLA.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, charges the 15 students face are listed below:

• Twelve were charged with disruption of a school function and resisting an officer without violence.
• Two were charged with affray (an instance of fighting in a public place that disturbs the peace).
• One was charged with disruption of a school function, resisting an officer without violence, giving a false name to law enforcement and possession of a weapon on campus.