Florida Third-Grade Teacher Pulled from Classroom After Police Clash at Party with 200 Underage Drinkers
Karly Anderson, 45, was removed from her teaching position following her involvement in a wild gathering at the Cocoa Beach home of Roosevelt Elementary School principal, Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan. The incident occurred on January 19, and reports indicate that the party was a chaotic scene of intoxicated minors, as detailed by Fox 35 Orlando.
In the released footage, an allegedly inebriated Anderson can be seen confronting Cocoa Beach Police Department officers outside the house. She openly identified herself as a teacher and expressed her disbelief at the situation unfolding around her. “You know I’m a teacher, who the f—k got put in that car?” she shouted at the officers, referring to a student being taken away in an ambulance. “I was here hanging out at this party, I mean what the f—k? What’s wrong with them?”
Following the release of this footage, Brevard County Public Schools (BCPS) made the decision to suspend Anderson from her teaching duties. This action came just a day after she was quietly transferred to Saturn Elementary School, as reported by local news outlets.
BCPS board member Matt Susis did not hold back in his criticism of Anderson’s actions, labeling them as “deplorable” and “disgusting.” The school district announced that Anderson was initially eligible to return to teaching because the felony child abuse charges against her were downgraded to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and disorderly intoxication.
“The State Attorney cleared Karly Anderson of the felony charges. The Department of Children and Family Services cleared Ms. Anderson as well. She’s a certified teacher and as of today she’s been placed by the district back into the classroom,” a BCPS spokesperson stated in a press release.
However, this decision did not sit well with parents at Saturn Elementary, who expressed outrage at the thought of Anderson teaching their children. Parent Ashley Fernandez voiced her frustration, stating, “It’s ridiculous. It is absolutely ridiculous and uncalled for. I was livid because, honestly, the woman still hasn’t even gone to court. This issue hasn’t been resolved at all, and so she has no place being inside of a school right now.”
Both Anderson and Hill-Brodigan, 47, are facing charges of child neglect and contributing to the delinquency of a minor due to their involvement in the chaotic party. Reports indicate that the young attendees were not only visibly intoxicated but also engaged in fights, raising serious concerns about the supervision at the event.
Police officers responding to the scene discovered one student on the front lawn suffering from an alcohol-related health issue. In a bizarre turn of events, Hill-Brodigan allegedly attempted to obscure the situation by turning off all the lights in front of her house, forcing officers to provide assistance using the floodlights from their cruisers.
Mark Rendell, the superintendent of BCPS, commented on the incident, stating, “The teacher’s actions as seen on the footage were completely unacceptable and do not match the charges given and warrant a further investigation.” The situation continues to unfold, raising questions about the responsibilities of educators and the safety of students in their care.
