JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Emails obtained by News4JAX provide new details about the firing of a substitute teacher working at Mandarin Middle School.
Brian Covey was let go from his position as a permanent substitute teacher in February after he posted a video in January on social media showing rows of empty bookshelves in the school’s library.
Covey said he did it to expose the impact of new statewide laws requiring the mass review of all library media and classroom materials.
According to Covey, weeks following the posts he made, he was fired.
In February, Duval County Public Schools responded to Covey’s post, saying the video showed “less than half the story.”
They also noted it was a gross misrepresentation and there were other books available for students to read, noting that media specialists were reviewing books in media centers and classrooms to ensure they met certain criteria for students.
As of Wednesday, 30,000 books have been approved for students.
When News4JAX reached out to DCPS about the firing, they along with ESS, the company that hires substitutes, sent this statement:
“In discussion between the district and ESS regarding this individual’s misrepresentation of the books available to students in the school’s library and the disruption this misrepresentation has caused, it was determined that he had violated social media and cell phone policies of his employer. Therefore, ESS determined these policy violations made it necessary to part ways with this individual.”
Before being fired, emails between the principal of Mandarin Middle School, her secretary and the area manager of ESS were sent to each other.
The emails show the principal at Mandarin Middle emailed the ESS employee, asking her to let Covey know that they are “restocking … library bookshelves with the approved list from DCPS.”
A follow-up email, from the principal’s secretary to the ESS employee said, in part: “Hi. I do not know your policy for videoing or posting on social media, etc. But we do not want to remove him from the assignment.”
The principal, who was CC’d on that email, responded: “Yes, I agree… I just need him to be informed that we are restocking our library shelves with an approved DCPS list.”
Even though there were two people wanting Covey to remain a permanent sub at the school, he was still fired from his position.
“It was reassuring because I knew that I was doing a good job,” Covey said after reading those emails.
The fired substitute teacher said knowing that the people he worked with wanted him to stay made him feel good.
“I intended to stay with that class through the end of the year, and I wish it would’ve been that way,” Covey said.
When Covey was fired, the district said in a statement that he “violated social media and cell phone policies of his employer. Therefore, ESS determined these policy violations made it necessary to part ways.”
Covey said he was unaware of those policies.
When asked if he would do it again, Covey said, “I would definitely do what I did and document what I was able to do.”
News4JAX reached out to DCPS and ESS to ask why the principal’s request to not have Covey removed was not considered. They referred us back to their previous statement that says he violated social media and cell phone policy.