A state administrative law judge has ruled that an Alachua County teacher should receive a written reprimand rather than lose her teaching credentials, concluding a disciplinary dispute that began during a public state meeting last year.
The case stems from 2025, when a parent accused educator Lauren Watts of bullying during a State Board of Education meeting. Following the allegation, Watts was placed on administrative leave. The next day, then-Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas filed an administrative complaint against her, stating publicly that he would “take every necessary action to ensure this teacher never teaches again.” According to union officials, the complaint was filed without the investigation or opportunity to respond required by state statute.
On October 15, the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) dismissed one of the state’s allegations against Watts. In her official recommendation, Administrative Law Judge Yolonda Green determined that harsher penalties were unwarranted…