Prior arrest restricts Lee County Teacher of the Year from state competition

LEE COUNTY, Fla.- The Lee County teacher’s union says it’s outraged the Teacher of the Year will not be recognized at the state level.

James Jones, a South Fort Myers High School teacher, says it’s because of a past arrest that was wiped off his record.

Teachers are upset after the school district decided not to submit his name for state recognition.

According to our partners at the News-Press, Jones was arrested for resisting an arrest in 2013 but that was eventually wiped from his record.

Union member Donna Mutzenard says teachers have told her this move makes them feel as if the district doesn’t support them.

“If they’re doing their job the way the district expects them to do, then the district should help protect them.”

Mutzenard believes the district is just trying to protect its image.

“They would feel that it doesn’t look good for Lee County to have somebody who had been arrested, as Teacher of the Year,” said Mutzenard.

Jones tells WINK News “the district told me they didn’t want my name smeared at the state level.” He also says he’s disappointed.

Makayla Quarles is a former student of Jones. She was there the night he was arrested.

She says her husband at the time was abusing her and the only person she could think to run to was Jones.

Quarles says police originally thought Jones was the man who hurt her, but he was there to protect her.

“Everything that has happened, has been twisted and turned and made him look like the bad person which isn’t the case,” said Quarles.

Quarles and others want to see the district reverse its decision and give Jones the chance to be recognized statewide.