TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — A middle school teacher in Leon County was arrested Friday for allegedly coordinating student fights in her classroom during school hours.
Angel Footman, a sixth-grade teacher at Griffin Middle School in Tallahassee, faces charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, WCTV reports.
Court documents obtained by the station say that students told investigators they took part in coordinated fights during the school day. The documents also allege that Footman, 23, told students: “thirty seconds, no screaming, no yelling, no phones.”
According to the report, a detective reviewed video footage that showed Footman sitting on her desk, failing to intervene and telling students: “no screaming, no nothing” and “stop pulling hair.”
Footman reportedly claims she did not plan the fights but admitted she failed to report them.
On March 27, the Leon County School Board reviewed student discipline policies. According to Tallahassee Reports, district staff told board members that teachers are advised to redirect students’ behavior before writing referrals for suspensions.
At the meeting, board member Laurie Cox emphasized the need for more training, saying: “I want to make sure that our teachers get the training they need to deal with challenges that we have.”
