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•🧑🏫 Who: Dr. Scheree Martin, former STEMM Academy principal, and Superintendent Marcus Chambers
•📜 What: Martin resigned under prejudice amid financial misconduct and student treatment allegations
•📆 When: Resignation occurred before a scheduled December 9, 2024, school board meeting
•📍 Where: Okaloosa County School District, Florida
•❓ Why: Multiple investigations found violations of district policies, leading to a planned termination she avoided by resigning
After multiple investigations, a transfer from the STEMM Academy to the operation of a school for kids in jail that averages a 12-day stay – Dr. Scheree Martin will resign instead of termination over accusations she used school district money to gas up her car.
We made a records request after we saw her name again on the District’s meeting agenda – this time under separations under prejudice.
Separations under prejudice are the polite way to say, ‘You resigned because otherwise, we’d fire you.’
It’s a designation the District developed and rolled out in 2019 to ensure it couldn’t rehire people who resigned to avoid getting fired.
You might remember Martin from last summer – when she was reassigned from her post as principal of the STEMM Academy to lead the School District’s educational efforts for students in jail. That reassignment was seen widely as an attempt to warehouse Martin after she was the subject of at least one Florida Department of Education and Okaloosa County School District Investigation into how she handled students with special needs at the STEMM Academy.
RELATED: Parents Say This Principal Broke the Law. Now They Want Justice For Their Son.
Essentially, though, she was accused of four violations of district policy:
“Given your employment history and the nature of these violations, just cause exists for your termination,” a note from Superintendent Marcus Chambers said. He also added that he’d send this issue to the State of Florida’s Office of Professional Practices for them to look at.
Documents from our request also showed the Florida Department of Education substantiated allegations Dr. Martin punished a student about their disability, which is a violation of state law.
Chris Newcomer, the child’s parent who allegedly caught Martin’s wrath, breathed fire about the resignation. “that’s disgusting. It’s because nobody has the stones to fire her and commit to their decision,” Newcomer railed, “where’s your backbone? None of them have one. Except, you know, when they’re grandstanding and campaigning, they act like they do. But it’s a joke.”
Superintendent Marcus Chambers notified her of his intent to fire her on November 22 at the next school board meeting, which was to take place on December 9.
RELATED: What Does The Okaloosa Superintendent of Schools Do?
That’s when she requested the opportunity to resign from her post: “While I deeply value my time with the District and the opportunity to contribute to the success of our students and community, I understand that varying circumstances have led to this difficult juncture. Resigning would allow me to leave my position with dignity and professionalism, and I believe it is in the best interests of all parties involved,” she wrote to Superintendent Chambers.
She resigned before the board meeting on December 9, 2024.
RELATED: STEMM Academy Welcomes New Principal
We’ve reached out to Dr. Martin via LinkedIn (hey, that’s what we could find) and are awaiting a response. We’ll update the story as we are able.
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Superintendent Chambers did not comment on specific personnel matters but did sit down with us to talk about the typical process of termination or resignation at the Okaloosa County School District.
The school district has a set process in place to deal with employee terminations that they follow as a matter of course – unless the violation of law or school policy is considered so detrimental that the Superintendent chooses to attempt the termination of the employee, which has to go in front of the school board for final approval.
According to Chambers, the District typically has about 3,500 employees at any given time – and about 25 have been fired since February of 2017.
Chambers told us that the District uses progressive discipline with teachers who are found to have violated school policies. Still, Chambers himself reserves the right as the elected Superintendent to change punitive action against staff members, like recommendations of suspensions and termination to the school board.
“If it deals with the health, safety, [or] welfare of the student and if we have an employee who acted improperly in that manner,” Chambers said, “If it turns out to be more on the egregious side, then that’s straight to termination. If it’s health safety, health safety and welfare, it might be a one-day suspension, it could be a three-day suspension, a five-day suspension, but if it’s egregious, go to termination.”
As you might guess, the first step of the disciplinary process occurs when someone accuses a school district employee of violating the law and/or school policy.
After an allegation is made – several groups are notified by the school district. If the allegation is criminal, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is looped into the situation, as is the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), the parents of any children involved, and the HR Department.
When the District receives an allegation, the formal investigation process begins. The District has employees who handle the investigations for the District specifically. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is looped in if the allegation includes potential criminal activity. Should the Sheriff’s Office be notified and decide to do their own investigation, the District’s policy is to cooperate with that investigation and await its outcome.
The Florida Department of Children and Famlies (DCF) also gets looped in if the allegation involves children.
Okaloosa County School District also contacts the parents or guardians of any students involved in an incident. According to the District, in most cases, a member of the school district administration handles this communication on behalf of the District. The District is required by law to notify DCF, Law Enforcement, OCSD Human Resources and parents when allegations involve an employee and concern health, safety, or welfare.
If the school district’s investigation of any allegations dredges up what are called “substantiated findings,” the District is required to notify the Florida Department of Education’s (DOE) Professional Practice Division. From there, the DOE can start its own investigation, too, and dish out sanctions against an educator with a certificate that range from a slap on the wrist to a revocation of their teacher’s license.
The investigators on staff at the school district forward the findings of their investigation to the Superintendent of Schools, Marcus Chambers, and the District’s HR department.
Not all investigations result in substantiated findings against an employee. In those cases, nothing further happens in terms of punishment. But, the District noted that even when there are unsubstantiated findings in a report – they can still assign homework. According to an email from Okaloosa County School District PIO Catherine Card, in these cases the District can assign “training or other interventions to address concerns and reinforce best practices. When appropriate, the District implements these measures to support continuous improvement.”
From there, the Superintendent decides what punishment, if any, will take place. The Superintendent has the discretion to mete out any punishment, from a letter of reprimand to termination of employment.
Once discipline is determined – the teacher has a right to appeal. Per the teacher’s or other unionized employee’s Weingarten Rights established by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975, they can have a union representative with them throughout the process, including during interviews and appeals.
The initial appeal would go back to the Superintendent and involve the employee, the Superintendent, and any representation the employee wants.
Ultimately, though, the Superintendent does not have to change his mind.
If he stands firm in his decision and the employee disagrees, the Okaloosa County School Board or an Administrative Law Judge makes a final decision.
If the Superintendent decides to move forward with termination, he must send a letter to the person who will lose their job to let them know he intends to ask the school board, which does the actual hiring and firing, to terminate them at the next meeting.
Employees can resign anytime, so the option to resign before they’re terminated can be tempting to employees who’ve received the letter.
Many, like Martin, choose to do so to avoid a termination on their resume.
Teachers who resign instead of suffer termination receive a code in Okaloosa County’s personnel system. They are either marked as “Resigned in lieu of termination” or “Terminated with prejudice.” The classification is meant to ensure the former employee cannot sign back on with the District in the future.
The final thing I was curious about – where do these teachers go after they leave the District? Do they get hired on at other districts, or do they just fade into the ether?
We asked, and the school district told us, “When another employer contacts the District for a reference check, we provide dates of employment, last position held, and reason for separation. If requested, we provide eligibility for rehire.”
