Petitioner: DR. TONY BENNETT, AS COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Respondent: KAREN BROUGHTON
Judges: LISA SHEARER NELSON
Agency: Department of Education
Locations: Pensacola, Florida
Filed: Oct. 01, 2013
Status: Closed
Settled and/or Dismissed prior to entry of RO/FO on Tuesday, February 25, 2014.
Latest Update: Jan. 31, 2025
STATE OF FLORIDA
EDUCATION PRACTICES COMMISSION
DR. TONY BENNETT, as
Commissioner of Education,
Petitioner,
vs. CASE NO, 101-1673
KAREN BROUGHTON,
Respondent.
ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
Petitioner, Dr. Tony Bennett, as Commissionet of Education, files this Administrative
Complaint against KAREN BROUGHTON, The Petitioner seek the appropriate disciplinary
sanction of the Respondent’s educator's certificate pursuant to Sections 1012.3 15, 1012.795, and
1012.796, Florida Statutes, and pursuantto Rule 6A-10.08 1, 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
L. The Respondent holds Florida Educator’s Certificate 925209, covering the areas of
Reading and Family and Consumer Science, which is valid through June 30, 2016.
2. At all times pertinent hereto, the Respondent was employed as.a Reading Teacher
at Washington High School in the Escambia County School District,
MATERIAL ALLEGATIONS
3, During the 2009-2010 school year, the Respondent utilizéd the Escambia County
School District electronic mail system to send e-mail messages to several employees of N.B. Cook
Elementary School regarding a family member’s educational matters. The Respondent sent e-mails
during the work day. The Respondent’s messages were harassing and intimidating, and were sent
in retaliation for the employees’ participation in a district investigation,
; 4. Asaresult of the conduct alleged in paragraph 3, on or about November 1, 2010, the
Escambia County Schoo! District issued the Respondent a letter of reprimand.
KAREN BROUGHTON
Administrative Complaint
Page 2 of 3
The Petitioner charges:
STATUTE VIOLATIONS
COUNT I: The Respondent is in violation of Section 1012,795(1)(g), Florida Statutes,
in that Respondent has been found guilty of personal conduct which seriously reduces her
otfectiveness as an employee of the school board,
COUNT 2: The Respondetit is in violation of Section 1012.795(1)@), Florida Statutes, iti
that Respondent has violated the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession
prescribed by State Board of Education rules,
RULE VIOLATIONS
COUNT 3: The allegations of misconduct set forth herein are in violation of Rule 6A-
10,081(4)(a), Florida Administrative Code, in that Respondent has failed to take reasonable
precautions to distinguish between personal views and those of any educational institution or
organization with which the individual ig affiliated,
COUNT 4: The allegations of misconduct set forth herein are in. violation of Rule 6A-
10.081(4\(c), Florida Administrative Code, in that Respondent has used institutional privileges for
personal. gain or advantage,
COUNT 5: The allegations of misconduct set forth herein are in violation of Rule 6A-
10.081(5)(d), Florida. Administrative Code, in that Respondent has engaged in harassment or
discriminatory conduct which unreasonably interfered with an individual’s performance of
professional.or work responsibilities or with the orderly processes of education or which created. a
hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive environment; and further, failed to make
reasonable effort to assure that each individual was protected from such harassment ot
discrimination,
(SIGNATURE ON FOLLOWING PAGE)
KAREN BROUGHTON
Administrative Complaint
Page 3 of 3
WHEREFORE, based on the reasons set forth herein and in aecordance 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 Eclucation Practices Commission may inchide, but are not limited to, any one ora
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 tlie
Resporident from reapplying for an educator's certificate for a period of time up to: 10 years. or
permanently.
EXECUTED on this Zi day of Mesch_. 2013,
DR. TONY BENNETT as
Commissioner of Education
State of Florida
Docket for Case No: 13-003824PL
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
Feb. 25, 2014 |
Order Closing File and Relinquishing Jurisdiction. CASE CLOSED.
|
Feb. 24, 2014 |
(Petitioner's) Unopposed Motion to Close File and for Remand filed.
|
Jan. 24, 2014 |
Order Canceling Hearing (parties to advise status by February 24, 2014).
|
Jan. 24, 2014 |
Notice of Cancellation of Deposition (of Karen Broughton) filed.
|
Jan. 24, 2014 |
(Petitioner's) Unopposed Motion for Continuance filed.
|
Jan. 21, 2014 |
Pre-hearing Stipulation filed.
|
Jan. 14, 2014 |
Notice of Taking Deposition (of Karen Broughton) filed.
|
Jan. 06, 2014 |
Notice of Filing Errata Sheet filed.
|
Dec. 19, 2013 |
Deposition of Leonard Dietzen filed.
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Dec. 19, 2013 |
Notice of Filing Deposition and Exhibits filed.
|
Nov. 14, 2013 |
Notice of Taking Deposition (of Leonard Dietzen) filed.
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Nov. 14, 2013 |
Order Granting Continuance and Re-scheduling Hearing (hearing set for January 29 and 30, 2014; 9:00 a.m., Central Time; Pensacola, FL).
|
Nov. 07, 2013 |
Petitioner's Response to Respondent's Request for Production of Documents filed.
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Nov. 07, 2013 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's Answers to Respondent's First Interrogatories filed.
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Nov. 07, 2013 |
Petitioner's Unopposed Motion for Continuance filed.
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Nov. 07, 2013 |
Notice of Compliance with Request to Produce filed.
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Nov. 07, 2013 |
Notice of Service of Response First Set of Interrogatories to Petitioner filed.
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Nov. 07, 2013 |
Respondent's Response to Petitioner's First Request for Admissions filed.
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Oct. 24, 2013 |
Notice of Taking Depositions (of A. Scott, D. Waters, K. Windham, and P. Thomas) filed.
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Oct. 14, 2013 |
Petitioner's Request for Admissions filed.
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Oct. 14, 2013 |
Petitioner's First Request for Production of Documents filed.
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Oct. 14, 2013 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's First Interrogatories to the Respondent filed.
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Oct. 08, 2013 |
Order of Pre-hearing Instructions.
|
Oct. 08, 2013 |
Notice of Hearing (hearing set for December 11 and 12, 2013; 9:00 a.m., Central Time; Pensacola, FL).
|
Oct. 08, 2013 |
Request for Production filed.
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Oct. 08, 2013 |
Notice of Service of First Set of Interrogatories to Petitioner filed.
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Oct. 08, 2013 |
Notice of Appearance (Mark Levine) filed.
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Oct. 07, 2013 |
Joint Response to Initial Order filed.
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Oct. 02, 2013 |
Initial Order.
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Oct. 01, 2013 |
Administrative Complaint filed.
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Oct. 01, 2013 |
Election of Rights filed.
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Oct. 01, 2013 |
Letter to K. Richards from Agency`s General Counsel requesting administrative hearing and notification of counsel of record.
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Oct. 01, 2013 |
Agency referral filed.
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