Duval County charter teacher loses job after false allegations

DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — A gym teacher learned Thursday he was released from his job days after a parent handed out flyers in front of the school claiming he had a violent criminal history.

Action News Jax first reported Wednesday about the allegations in the flyers, which turned out to be untrue.

"I loved this school," Dominic McKnight said. "I loved who I worked for."

McKnight said he came to work Thursday morning at Enterprise Learning Academy and was told he was being released from his duties.
 
In a letter to parents, Principal Aszloyn Wakefield wrote the decision to let McKnight go was "made solely under my authority as a principal related to probationary employees."
 
McKnight was still in his probationary period because he started working at the school earlier this year.
 
McKnight believes the flyers led to his termination.
 
The information in the flyers claimed McKnight had a violent criminal history, but we learned he has only been convicted of a misdemeanor for giving false information to police in 2010.
 
He was arrested for aggravated battery in 2010 but was not convicted.

"When you take it this far they don't take into consideration that I have kids to feed," McKnight said. "This is my livelihood. This is my career." 
 
Wakefield said the school "fully complied with all state laws" regarding the screening process for McKnight.

"I think it's unfair," parent Gabriel Hilario said about McKnight's termination. "I think it's totally unfair."
 
Hilario's son Marcelo was in McKnight's fifth-grade gym class.

"I loved him as a teacher," Marcelo said. "He was definitely strict but fair."
 
McKnight said he believed the parent who handed out the flyers disagreed with his teaching style.

McKnight said he will miss the kids and worries what his future holds.

"This really has damaged me," McKnight said. "My job, I'm unemployed so what can I do now? My name is tarnished."
 
McKnight said he is weighing his legal options with an attorney.

WJAX