ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County school board members and the superintendent publicly addressed misconduct allegations surrounding the principal of Dr. Phillips Elementary School.
"We take them all seriously, and we're going to investigate every single one of them," Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins said.
Principal Daniel Merchant has been criticized by parents following a text messaging scandal at the school. He was disciplined after failing to report that his former assistant principal referred to upset female teachers as "vaginas on fire" in a text message.
"I'm here representing a growing group of parents at Dr. Phillips Elementary School who have lost confidence in our school's leadership," parents Melinda Lis said.
Several parents spoke out at Tuesday's school board meeting, saying that they want Merchant removed.
"He has failed in his leadership duties to provide a safe learning environment for our children," parent Jeremy Fetzer said.
Jenkins pointed out that Merchant has several supportive parents who want him to stay. She said the investigation that he's involved in will be complete in a few weeks.
"We will be diligent in our research and investigation, and certainly share those outcomes that can be shared with the public," Jenkins said.
WFTV
