Petitioner: PAM STEWART, AS COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Respondent: ANTHONY SYMONS
Judges: F. SCOTT BOYD
Agency: Department of Education
Locations: Miami, Florida
Filed: Apr. 23, 2018
Status: Closed
Settled and/or Dismissed prior to entry of RO/FO on Thursday, May 31, 2018.
Latest Update: Nov. 18, 2024
STATE OF FLORIDA
EDUCATION PRACTICES COMMISSION
PAM STEWART, as
Commissioner of Education,
Petitioner,
vs. CASE NO. 167-1369
ANTHONY A. SYMONS,
Respondent.
ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
Petitioner, Pam Stewart, as Commissioner of Education, files this Administrative
Complaint against ANTHONY A. SYMONS. 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 1026123, covering the areas
of Elementary Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), which is valid
through June 30, 2021.
2: At all times pertinent hereto, the Respondent was employed as a Second Grade
Teacher at Redland Elementary School in the Miami-Dade County School District.
MATERIAL ALLEGATIONS
3. Respondent has a history of improperly disciplining students. On or about March
1, 2011, The Commissioner of Education determined probable cause to sanction Respondent
regarding allegations of the improper disciplining of students.
4. On or about April 27, 2016, Respondent confronted students in the boy’s
bathroom and grabbed M.M., a second grade male student, by the left arm and pulled him out of
the bathroom. This caused M.M. to start crying and left a bruise on his arm.
ANTHONY A. SYMONS
Administrative Complaint
Page 2 of 2
The Petitioner charges:
STATUTE VIOLATIONS
COUNT 1: The Respondent is in violation of section 1012.795(1)(j), 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(2)(a)1, Florida Administrative Code, in that Respondent has failed to make reasonable
effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student’s mental
health and/or physical health and/or safety.
COUNT 3: The allegations of misconduct set forth herein are in violation of Rule 6A-
10.081(2)(a)5, Florida Administrative Code, in that Respondent has intentionally exposed a
student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.
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 in 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 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 years or permanently.
EXECUTED on this OB tay of May 2017,
Lb becorh
PAM STEWART, as
Commissioner of Education
State of Florida
Docket for Case No: 18-002091PL
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
May 31, 2018 |
Order Closing File and Relinquishing Jurisdiction. CASE CLOSED.
|
May 30, 2018 |
Motion to Cancel Hearing and to Relinquish Jurisdiction to EPC filed.
|
May 07, 2018 |
Order of Pre-hearing Instructions.
|
May 07, 2018 |
Notice of Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for June 11, 2018; 9:30 a.m.; Miami and Tallahassee, FL).
|
May 07, 2018 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's First Set of Interrogatories to Respondent filed.
|
May 07, 2018 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's Request for Admissions to Respondent filed.
|
May 07, 2018 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's Request for Production to Respondent filed.
|
May 02, 2018 |
Joint Response to Initial Order filed.
|
Apr. 23, 2018 |
Initial Order.
|
Apr. 23, 2018 |
Administrative Complaint filed.
|
Apr. 23, 2018 |
Notice of Appearance (Branden Vicari).
|
Apr. 23, 2018 |
Election of Rights filed.
|
Apr. 23, 2018 |
Agency referral filed.
|