6-year-old found two miles from Metcalfe Elementary after dismissal error

A first grader was wrongly released from Metcalfe Elementary on Tuesday and walked approximately two miles before being found near Mount Carmel Church by a school cafeteria worker. The boy’s grandmother had arrived to pick him up and was told he had been sent to an on-campus program, but when staff could not locate him, police were called. His mother, Imari Scott, said the route her son traveled included crossing multiple streets through what she described as a dangerous neighborhood, and she stated she is withdrawing him from the school.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Gainesville High teacher fights to keep license after ‘dictator’ superlative incident

Lauren Watts, a former Gainesville High School teacher, appeared in court Thursday to defend her teaching license after awarding a student a superlative during the 2022-23 school year that called him most likely to become a dictator. Attorneys questioned her intentions in allowing students to nominate and vote for classmates in that category, specifically regarding student Thomas Murall. Watts testified that she never meant to embarrass or harm any student.

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Sources: WCJB TV20