Florida school superintendent who pushed school masks is fired

Gainsville, Florida — The 3-2 vote to terminate the contract of superintendent Carlee Simon came late Tuesday night by the Alachua County school board.

Simon who defied Gov. Ron DeSantis on pandemic masks for students has been fired by the local school board.

Mildred Russell had a key vote for termination. He was appointed in August by the Republican governor to replace a member who did not live within her district.

Simon called it retribution for her stance against DeSantis and his opposition to mask mandates in Florida schools. Alachua County was one of about a dozen districts that risked the loss of state funding by requiring masks during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The unprecedented partisan attack on what should be non-partisan officials is compromising the education of county children,” Simon said.

According to The Alachua County school board chair, Robert Hyatt, there are more problems facing the system that a new superintendent could better tackle.

“Things are not working for our school system,” Hyatt said during Tuesday night’s meeting.

The school board appointed the deputy superintendent, Donna Jones, as a temporary replacement with a March 15 vote planned on a new superintendent.