FL Attorney General Calls For Firing Of Pine View Teacher Over Student Bullying Claims

OSPREY, FL — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has called for the firing of a teacher at Pine View School, a magnet school for gifted students, in Osprey over allegations that she politically bullied a student.

In a Sept. 21 letter to Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor, which he posted to X, Uthmeier said that Liz Ballard, a history teacher, "allegedly harassed, disparaged and deliberately tried to 'cancel' an eighth-grade student for his political views." (Read the full letter below.)

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She regularly discusses political topics during class, and "after the student informed Ms. Ballard that his parents expressly forbid him to take part in these discussions, Ms. Ballard ignored the parents' wishes and continued to engage the student as the conservative perspective in the classroom," the attorney general said. "Ms. Ballard eventually labeled this student a 'misogynist,' spread this label around the school, and openly questioned the suitability and influence of the student's father."

Uthmeier claims "Ballard's conduct violated Florida law, School Board policy, and basic ethical principles for educators."

He said Ballard should be fired and her educator certificate revoked, giving Sarasota County Schools until Oct. 1 to respond.

"We take the concerns seriously and will respond to the Attorney General's Office," Connor said in a statement to WUSF, adding that the district "will examine the relevant facts" and "ensure a fair process for all involved."

The superintendent said that "every student deserves a classroom where they feel safe, respected, and free to learn."

Jason Means, president of the Sarasota Classified Teachers Association, told WFLA that the union has been representing Ballard in an ongoing monthslong investigation.

"She's a great teacher at a great school, Pine View's a great school," Means said. "He [Uthmeier] might have, you know, overstepped his bounds a little bit. I mean, obviously it's within the laws of the state of Florida, and I can see where he would say that he would have the right to send such a letter. I feel like that he might have bigger fish to fry."

Ballard also commented on the allegations to WFLA, saying, "What I read in that letter is not accurate at all compared to the actual investigation."

Read Uthmeier's full letter: