JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has obtained an internal Duval County Public Schools investigative report concluding that one of the district’s former top leaders “knowingly failed” to report allegations of child sexual abuse at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, a decision investigators say allowed additional students to remain at risk for years.
The findings are the latest development in the ongoing fallout from years of sexual misconduct allegations involving teachers at the prestigious arts magnet school. Action News Jax has reported on investigations surrounding Douglas Anderson since 2022.
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The report focuses on former Duval County Public Schools Chief of Schools Scott Schneider, whose sudden exit in May raised questions after he was not reappointed for the upcoming school year by Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier. The district characterized the move as a financial decision and reorganization of leadership in an internal email Action News Jax’s Ben Becker first obtained in May.
However, Becker has learned the district recently completed a yearlong investigation into Schneider’s handling of abuse allegations dating back to 2020.
2020 emails at center of investigation
The investigation, by the district’s Office of Professional Standards, centers on August 2020 emails sent to Schneider while he served as the district’s regional superintendent for high schools.
According to the report, the Douglas Anderson principal at the time informed Schneider that a former student had accused a dozen teachers and contractors of sexually abusing students over multiple years.
Schneider first told the principal to contact the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. She responded that she had already contacted DCF, which said it could not investigate because the former student was no longer a minor.
When the principal followed up about contacting JSO, Schneider responded this time, by writing “You have done what is needed,” according to his email.
Investigators wrote that Schneider’s failure to act himself meant that “numerous students experienced or continued experiencing abuse by educators.”
The report further states Schneider’s actions “appear intentional but are, at a minimum, reckless,” and concludes his failure to report constituted a first-degree misdemeanor under Florida law.
However, Action News Jax learned Schneider will not be criminally charged in this case. And in a letter to the district, Schneider, a long-time DCPS employee and administrator, condemned the report’s findings, calling them inaccurate and defamatory.
Victim advocate questions accountability
However, former Douglas Anderson student and victims’ advocate Shyla Jenkins said the findings reinforce concerns that opportunities to stop abusive behavior at the school were missed.
“It destroyed people’s lives,” Jenkins told Becker.
Jenkins was once a student of former Douglas Anderson teacher Jeffrey Clayton, who was among the educators identified in the principal’s 2020 email, along with Chris Allen-Black and Craig Levitt.
Allen-Black was found guilty in 2025 of exposing himself at a hotel on Disney property in 2024. Levitt was reassigned in 2024 after being accused of inappropriate communication with a student. Neither were investigated or charged with sexually abusing a child.
Clayton was arrested in 2023 and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence after being convicted on charges involving grooming and touching a student. The school district eventually settled numerous lawsuits, one for $365,000 regarding Clayton and $1.45 million for other abuse cases at Douglas Anderson.
“There could have been a stop to this in 2020 when this issue came to him [Schneider] and no accountability was given,” Jenkins said.
She also questioned why accountability has taken so long.
“What is the accountability here? It’s great they’re now saying he should be charged. Where was this three years ago?” Jenkins said.
Statute of limitations prevented earlier prosecutions
The investigative report notes the list of alleged abusers only became known in 2025.
A JSO incident report indicated the State Attorney’s Office determined the statute of limitations for failure to report had expired to pursue any possible criminal charges against several school employees connected to the allegations in the 2020 email.
That outcome prompted changes to Florida law.
Earlier this year, State Rep. Wyman Duggan of Jacksonville sponsored legislation aimed at strengthening penalties for mandatory reporters who fail to report suspected child abuse. Duggan has told Action News Jax the bill was inspired by investigations into Douglas Anderson.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the measure into law in May, and it took effect July 1.
Previously, prosecutors had three years from the date someone failed to report suspected abuse to file criminal charges. Under the new law, the three-year statute of limitations begins when law enforcement discovers the failure to report, not when the alleged failure occurred.
But the law is not retroactive and does not apply to Schneider’s case.
Schneider disputes findings
Becker asked Schneider for a statement, but he deferred to his letter to the district, challenging his written reprimand.
In that letter, Schneider argued the reprimand was unjustified because it relies on an Office of Professional Standards investigative report that he described as “baseless, defamatory, and easily disproven.”
Schneider added that he believed the allegations had already been reported and were being handled.
“The report omits key details, including but not limited to my recounting a conversation with [former Executive Director of OPS] Sherry Jackson. I spoke with Ms. Jackson and asked her if the allegations were reported to OPS. Ms. Jackson confirmed to him that the matter was reported to OPS and they were involved in an investigation. Based on that representation, I did not believe [Douglas Anderson Principal] Ms. [Melanie] Hammer needed to make a redundant report – nor would any reasonable person believe that something was already confirmed to be reported need to be reported again. To reiterate, it is uncontroverted by the Report itself that the allegations were reported to OPS, yet the report omits my confirmation that OPS was involved at the time,” Schneider said.
In witness interviews, Jackson declined to speak to OPS investigators. Hammer said she “was unaware of any misconduct involving the named educators.”
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Schneider was the focus of two previous investigations unrelated to Douglas Anderson.
On December 6, 2021, Schneider allegedly engaged in inappropriate communication with a female colleague. The allegation could not be substantiated. He was issued coaching/counseling by former DCPS Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene. Schneider called the allegations “slanderous.”
On July 10, 2025, Schneider was alleged to have exercised poor judgment and inappropriate communication by engaging in public criticism with a dismissive tone and threatening remarks directed toward a female principal. As a result of that investigation, he was issued what the district calls a Step 1 verbal reprimand.
Schneider told investigators that “his demeanor was consistent with his usual presentation style and denied any intent to threaten or undermine the celebratory tone of the meeting” about the school receiving an “A” after he said he received “pushback” from the principal regarding the use of laptops to assess instructional quality.
What’s next
Jenkins, the former Douglas Anderson student, said she hopes the new law will help prevent similar situations in the future.
“If this was to happen again, there’s a law foundation now where they can go and pursue these people who are deplorable for not doing what they should have done,” she said.
The district’s investigation states its findings have been forwarded to law enforcement and the Florida Department of Education for further review.
DCPS statement
The district declined Becker’s request for an interview with Bernier, and would not confirm the reason why Schneider’s contract was not renewed. In the statement, DCPS said:
“The district does not disclose private information related to individual personnel matters. All staffing decisions are made thoughtfully and with sensitivity, with our focus always remaining on supporting positive student outcomes. I can also share that, through our Know the Line campaign, Dr. Bernier has consistently emphasized the importance of protecting the safety and well-being of our students and fostering a culture where any suspected misconduct is reported immediately. Please refer to the public records you received, which further documents the district’s position on this matter.”
Florida Department of Education statement
Action News Jax asked the Florida Department of Education about the status of Schneider’s teaching license and if he was under further investigation.
“Pursuant to section 1012.796(4), Florida Statutes, the Florida Department of Education can neither confirm nor deny the existence of a pending investigation.”
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