The Florida Department of Education is moving forward with penalizing Leon Superintendent Rocky Hanna following an investigation into his professional conduct. Hanna is accused of using his “official position to attempt to politically influence others under” his authority, according to a letter from DOE.
The investigation was sparked from a complaint against Hanna by local resident Brandi Andrews, who identified herself as an Executive Board member of the local Moms for Liberty-Leon chapter. In her letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis, Andrews cites a 2022 op-ed from Hanna published in the Tallahassee Democrat that criticizes the governor’s education policies; a now-dismissed federal lawsuit against the Leon School District from January Littlejohn who accused the district of trying to help her teenage child transition to a different gender without informing them; and the district’s legal fight with the state over DeSantis’ efforts to ban school mask mandates.
The letter also referenced a memo Hanna wrote to teachers ahead of the 2022 school year where he told them “you do you” and stated that the district would defend them should they run afoul of new state laws placing restrictions on how aspects of race, history and sexuality are discussed and taught in public school classrooms. There were also references to posts critical of DeSantis that Hanna made on his personal Facebook page.
Hanna is one of a dozen local superintendents that initially defied DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates, and the Leon Superintendent has long been an opponent of charter schools and school choice policies, arguing they take resources away from traditional public schools. Even while under investigation, Hanna continued to speak out at committee hearings during a debate over a new law that creates a universal school voucher program.
According to DOE, Hanna faces the following sanctions: reprimand, fine, probation, restriction of the scope of practice, suspension not to exceed five years, revocation not to exceed ten years or the permanent revocation of the Educator Certificate.
The full statement from Leon Superintendent Rocky Hanna:
“An investigation into my “personal views” by the Florida Department of Education was triggered by a politically motivated letter, sent to the Governor, by an Executive Board member of the Moms for Liberty organization, asking him to remove me from office. The author of the letter not only touts the fact that she is a Moms for Liberty board member, but that she had the pleasure of meeting the Governor’s wife, and that it was “an honor to take part filming a campaign ad” supporting the Governor’s re-election campaign. The bottom of her letter is stamped with the hateful and divisively partisan words “Let’s Go Brandon”. The letter, forwarded by the Governor’s office to the Commissioner of Education, could not possibly stand on its own, so the staff at FDOE dug up three additional “material allegations” to justify their case. Disturbingly, two of the three had already been investigated years ago with the result of no findings, including the temporary wearing of masks to protect students in 2021, and a complaint made by former Commissioner Corcoran about school safety officers in 2020. These additional “material allegations” were not included in the initial letter I received on December 24, 2022, Christmas Eve, nor was I given the opportunity to address them and defend myself.
How this is being handled and the tactics the Florida Department of Education is using to create this “investigation,” are certainly a serious cause for concern not just for myself, but for any Superintendent or school employee in the State of Florida. It's a sad day for democracy in Florida, and the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, when a state agency with unlimited power and resources, can target a local elected official in such a biased fashion. Let’s be clear, this investigation has nothing to do with these spurious allegations, but rather everything to do with attempting to silence myself and anyone else who speaks up for teachers and our public schools in a way that does not fit the political narrative of those in power.
In the next two weeks I must choose one of four options: Formal hearing, informal hearing, settlement or surrender my professional educator certificate that I have faithfully maintained for over 3 decades.”
