School board candidate’s ACPS record shows one incident resulting in a two-day paid leave

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Following the circulation of an anonymous social media post claiming that School Board Candidate Thomas Vu was removed from Mebane Middle School due to an incident involving a student, Alachua Chronicle requested all investigative and disciplinary reports in his personnel file; the response showed that he was once placed on a two-day administrative leave for a different incident, but there was no evidence of any investigation matching the details in the social media post.

The initial response on August 15 from Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) was, “Thomas Vu’s personnel file does not contain any investigations or disciplinary documents,” but this morning, ACPS sent an Application for Leave from 2016.

The document describes a two-day administrative leave with pay from October 5 to October 6, 2016, because “Mr. Vu got into a shoving match w/ a student.” The “Employee statement” field is blank, and the “Solution and assistance, if appropriate” field states, “Mr. Vu will not make physical contact w/ students unless safety issues require him to do so.”

The anonymous social media post claims that Vu was “removed from Mebane because he did not allow a student to use the bathroom. The student soiled his pants and was in them all day.”

Vu sent us the following statement:

“As someone striving to bring a new kind of leadership to our county, I welcome the opportunity to respond. Accountability is crucial for any leader, and this includes being transparent about our histories and careers.

“First, regarding the incident in 2016, a student made a false accusation after I sent him to the dean’s office. I asked him to leave my classroom for the safety of my other students. The district fully investigated, including reviewing camera footage and taking statements from students. The investigation confirmed my account of events and cleared me of any wrongdoing. I’m glad the district took time to investigate this.

“Regarding the rumors being posted on social media, here are the facts: Before class started, a student asked to use the bathroom. I gave the student permission, but the student chose not to use the bathroom. Within the first 5 minutes of class, the student informed me he had an accident. I immediately sent the student to the nurse to get changed.

“My record as an educator reflects my dedication to student growth and support, and I remain committed to transparency and honesty in all my actions. These values will continue to guide me as a School Board member.”

The post School board candidate’s ACPS record shows one incident resulting in a two-day paid leave appeared first on Alachua Chronicle .