Florida Teacher Accused of Letting Students Brawl in Class While She Watched

A teacher has been accused of allowing students to fight in her classroom at Griffin Middle School in Tallahassee, Florida.

Officials arrested and charged 23-year-old Angel Footman with four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, the Tallahassee Democrat reported Monday.

Students allege Footman let girls fight while inside her classroom, and video footage of the brawls reportedly shows the teacher watching from nearby, a probable cause affidavit said, according to the outlet:

“The fighters informed me that Footman asked them whether they wanted to have a ‘friendly fade’ before the fights began,” wrote Leon County Sheriff’s Office detective Hanna Perry. “She made statements such as ’30 seconds, no screaming, no yelling, no phones,’ and she even asked two of the girls whether they wanted to come back during her 6th period planning period to ‘run it back’ (fight again).”

In a press release shared Monday, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office said, based on evidence and information gathered while officials investigated, a warrant was issued for the young woman’s arrest on Wednesday.

On Friday, “Footman turned herself in to authorities at the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office and was booked on charges of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor,” the agency said.

Per the Democrat, parents who viewed the clips told school administrators what they saw. Footman was eventually fired from her job on March 24.

Meanwhile, Footman has reportedly denied organizing the fights among students, according to WCTV reporter Katie Kaplan:

A Tallahassee middle school teacher is accused of allowing her students to physically fight inside the classroom.

23-year-old Angel Footman, who denies organizing the fights, is now charged with four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. https://t.co/fgGHQbsPWc pic.twitter.com/4ROGi3aDRO

— Katie Kaplan (@KatieKaplanTV) April 10, 2023

The school district has been working to amend the policy regarding mandatory reporting of misconduct.

“According to the Leon County School Board’s meeting agenda, the revision to this policy adds a section regarding parental notification of arrests of employees,” the Democrat article said.

In June, the Associated Press (AP) reported that educators and psychologists claim the coronavirus pandemic furthered problems in schools.

The outlet said it caused “a surge in student mental health problems, trauma at home, a lack of socializing opportunities, and a shortage of teachers and counselors that reduced adult supervision and guidance.”