Petitioner: PAM STEWART, AS COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Respondent: VIRCEL WILLIAMS
Judges: J. LAWRENCE JOHNSTON
Agency: Department of Education
Locations: Fort Myers, Florida
Filed: Mar. 23, 2016
Status: Closed
Settled and/or Dismissed prior to entry of RO/FO on Monday, August 1, 2016.
Latest Update: Jan. 29, 2025
STATE OF FLORIDA
EDUCATION PRACTICES COMMISSION
PAM STEWART, as
Commissioner of Education,
Petitioner,
vs. CASE NO. 134-2208
VIRCEL LYNETTE WILLIAMS,
Respondent.
/
ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
Petitioner, Pam Stewart, as Commissioner of Education, files this Administrative
Complaint against VIRCEL LYNETTE WILLIAMS. 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 658148, covering the areas
of Educational Leadership, Elementary Education, English for Speakers of Other Languages
(ESOL) and Exceptional Student Education, which is valid through June 30, 2017.
2. At all times pertinent hereto, the Respandent was employed as a Behavior
Specialist at James Stephens International Academy in. the Lee County School District.
MATERIAL ALLEGATIONS
a
3. During the 2013/2014 school year, Respondent failed to provide appropriate
services for Exceptional Education Students (ESE) enrolled at her school. Respondent's conduct
included but was not limited to:
a) On or about September 11, 2013, Respondent held an IEP meeting for D.M., a
male, middle school, ESE student who was new to the school and came with an
IEP identifying a Service Delivery Model (SDM) of Supportive Behavior (SB) for
VIRCEL LYNETTE WILLIAMS
Administrative Complaint
Page 2 of 3
D.M. requiring that he be placed in a small class with a certified ESE teacher.
During the IEP meeting, D.M.’s teachers voiced the need for a restrictive
environment for D.M. based on violence and inappropriate touching of another
student. Ignoring the previous IEP and the recommendations of his teachers,
Respondent changed D.M.’s SDM to Collaborative Teaching (CT) which allowed
her to place D.M. in the general student population. Respondent had the [EP
signed by an elementary general education teacher who was not at the [EP
meeting and who had no interaction with D.M. Additionally, the change was
implemented prior to notification of the D.M.’s parents.
b) Respondent changed the IEPs of multiple students who had previously been
classified SB to CT without convening an IEP meeting or contacting the students’
parents.
c) The above referenced students were placed in the general student population
contributing to behavior issues including violence and inappropriate sexual
conduct that resulted in students being placed in alternative programs.
The Petitioner charges:
STATUTE VIOLATIONS
COUNT 1: 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
effectiveness as an employee of the school board.
COUNT 2: The Respondent is in violation of section 1012.795(1}G), 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 3: The allegations of misconduct set forth herein are in violation of Rule 6A-
10.081G)(a), 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.
(SIGNATURI
a3]
ON FOLLOWING PAGE)
VIRCEL LYNETTE WILLIAMS
Administrative Complaint
Page 3 of 3
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 (2™ aay or October, 2015.
PAM STEWART, as
Commissioner of Education
State of Florida
Docket for Case No: 16-001654PL
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
Aug. 01, 2016 |
Order Closing Files and Relinquishing Jurisdiction. CASE CLOSED.
|
Aug. 01, 2016 |
Motion to Cancel Hearing and to Relinquish Jurisdiction to EPC (filed in Case No. 16-001654PL).
|
Aug. 01, 2016 |
Motion to Cancel Hearing and to Relinquish Jurisdiction to EPC filed.
|
Jul. 26, 2016 |
Order Denying Continuance of Final Hearing.
|
Jul. 26, 2016 |
Unopposed Motion to Continue filed.
|
Jun. 06, 2016 |
Order Granting Continuance and Re-scheduling Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for August 18 and 19, 2016; 9:30 a.m.; Fort Myers, FL).
|
Jun. 01, 2016 |
Motion for Continuance filed.
|
Apr. 15, 2016 |
Order Granting Continuance and Re-scheduling Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for June 23 and 24, 2016; 9:30 a.m.; Fort Myers, FL).
|
Apr. 14, 2016 |
Order of Consolidation (DOAH Case Nos. 16-1650PL, 16-1654PL).
|
Apr. 06, 2016 |
Joint Motion to Reschedule Hearing/Petitioner's Motion to Consolidate filed.
|
Mar. 31, 2016 |
Respondent's Notice of Serving Responses to Petitioner's Request for Admissions filed.
|
Mar. 30, 2016 |
Order of Pre-hearing Instructions.
|
Mar. 30, 2016 |
Notice of Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for May 24 and 25, 2016; 9:30 a.m.; Fort Myers and Tallahassee, FL).
|
Mar. 30, 2016 |
Joint Response to Initial Order filed.
|
Mar. 25, 2016 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's Request for Production to Respondent filed.
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Mar. 25, 2016 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's First Set of Interrogatories to Respondent filed.
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Mar. 25, 2016 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's Request for Admissions to Respondent filed.
|
Mar. 23, 2016 |
Initial Order.
|
Mar. 23, 2016 |
Administrative Complaint filed.
|
Mar. 23, 2016 |
Election of Rights filed.
|
Mar. 23, 2016 |
Agency referral filed.
|