Petitioner: PAM STEWART, AS COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Respondent: MORISA FONTAINE
Judges: F. SCOTT BOYD
Agency: Department of Education
Locations: West Palm Beach, Florida
Filed: Dec. 30, 2016
Status: Closed
Settled and/or Dismissed prior to entry of RO/FO on Friday, February 3, 2017.
Latest Update: Dec. 22, 2024
STATE OF FLORIDA
EDUCATION PRACTICES COMMISSION
PAM STEWART, as
Commissioner of Education,
Petitioner,
VS. CASE NO. 134-2830
MORISA JO FONTAINE,
Respondent.
ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
Petitioner, Pam Stewart, as Commissioner of Education, files this Administrative
Complaint against MORISA JO FONTAINE. The Petitioner seeks the appropriate disciplinary
sanction of the Respondent's educator's certificate pursuant to sections 1012.315, 1012.795, and
1012.796, Florida Statutes, and pursuant to Rule 6A-10.081, Florida Administrative Code,
Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida, said sanctions
specifically set forth in sections 1012.795(1) and 1012.796(7), Florida Statutes.
The Petitioner alleges:
JURISDICTION
1. The Respondent holds Florida Educator’s Certificate 799152, covering the area of
Guidance and Counseling, which is valid through June 30, 2017.
2. At all times pertinent hereto, the Respondent was employed as a Guidance
Counselor at Santaluces High School in the Palm Beach County School District.
MATERIAL ALLEGATIONS
3, From 2012 through 2014, Respondent changed course codes in the Palm Beach
School District Data Base. These changes resulted in students meeting graduation ements
when in fact they had not met graduation requirements. This behavior includes, but is not limited
r around January 24, 2014, wherein Respondent directed a data processor to
(elective) to Y (required for graduation) so that A.S., a student,
d science courses.
to, an instance {
change a course code from I
would qualify for graduation without taking require
MORISA JO FONTAINE
Administrative Complaint
Page 2 of 2
The Petitioner charges:
STATUTE VIOLATIONS
COUNT 1: The Respondent is in violation of section 1012.795(1)q), Florida Statutes,
in that Respondent has violated the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education
Profession prescribed by State Board of Education rules.
RULE VIOLATIONS
COUNT 2: The allegations of misconduct set forth herein are in violation of Rule 6A-
10.081(5)(a), Florida Administrative Code, in that Respondent has failed to maintain honesty in
all professional dealings.
COUNT 3: The Respondent is in violation of Rule 6A-10.081(5)(h), Florida
Administrative Code, in that Respondent has submitted fraudulent information on a document in
comnection with professional activities.
WHEREFORE, based on the reasons set forth herein and in accordance with the
Explanation of Rights and Election of Rights forms attached to and made a part of this
Administrative Complaint, Petitioner respectfully recommends that the Education Practices
Commission impose an appropriate sanction against the Respondent’s educator's certificate
pursuant to the authority provided tn sections 1012.795(1) and 1012.796(7), Florida Statutes. The
sanctions imposed by the Education Practices Commission may include, but are not limited to,
any one or a combination of the following: issuing the Respondent a written reprimand; placing
the Respondent on probation for any period of time; restricting the Respondent’s authorized
scope of practice; assessing the Respondent an administrative fine; directing the Respondent to
enroll in the Recovery Network Program; suspending the Respondent’s educator's certificate for
a period of time not to exceed five years; revoking the Respondent's s educator’s certificate for a
period of time up to 10 years or permanently, determining the Respondent to be ineligible for
certification; or barring the Respondent from reapplying for an educator’s certificate for a period
of time up to 10 vears or permanently.
EXECUTED on this 4
rhen >
PAM STEWART, as
Commissioner of Education
State of Florida
Docket for Case No: 16-007619PL
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
Feb. 03, 2017 |
Order Closing File and Relinquishing Jurisdiction. CASE CLOSED.
|
Feb. 02, 2017 |
Motion to Cancel Hearing and to Relinquish Jurisdiction to EPC filed.
|
Jan. 20, 2017 |
Notice of Serving First Set of Interrogatories to Petitioner filed.
|
Jan. 20, 2017 |
Request to Produce filed.
|
Jan. 13, 2017 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's Request for Admissions to Respondent filed.
|
Jan. 13, 2017 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's First Set of Interrogatories to Respondent filed.
|
Jan. 13, 2017 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's Request for Production to Respondent filed.
|
Jan. 09, 2017 |
Order of Pre-hearing Instructions.
|
Jan. 09, 2017 |
Notice of Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for February 24, 2017; 9:00 a.m.; West Palm Beach and Tallahassee, FL).
|
Jan. 03, 2017 |
Notice of Appearance filed.
|
Dec. 30, 2016 |
Initial Order.
|
Dec. 30, 2016 |
Letter to Charles Whitelock from Mark Wilensky advising of counsel filed.
|
Dec. 30, 2016 |
Administrative Complaint filed.
|
Dec. 30, 2016 |
Election of Rights filed.
|
Dec. 30, 2016 |
Agency referral filed.
|