Florida Teacher Under Investigation After Allegedly Sending Inappropriate Letter to 11-Year-Old Student
A Florida family is speaking out after discovering a disturbing love letter allegedly written by their daughter’s fifth-grade teacher.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the incident, and a harassment charge related to bullying is expected to be filed soon, as reported by PEOPLE.
It all started in March 2025, when Ann and Jason Mitchell found a two-page handwritten "love letter" in their 11-year-old daughter’s bedroom.
The letter, which was allegedly from her teacher at Gullett Elementary School, had disturbing and inappropriate messages.
The writer talked about being in love with the minor and asked her to keep it a secret.
“You know I truly love you no matter what, that will never change,” the letter read, signed with “Love” and the teacher’s name.
It also included lines like: “I’ll keep our notes between us and won’t show your friends. So, you do the same,” and 'We have had a lot of fun this year and made memories that I will always remember."
According to Daily Mail, the mother also revealed that on Valentine’s Day 2025, the teacher stayed alone with her daughter in his classroom, while the other students went to the library.
'[The teacher] led my 11-year-old daughter into his classroom and spent 45 minutes alone with her while the rest of the students went to the library ... on Valentine's Day,' Ann said during the school board meeting.
Ann accused the teacher of touching her daughter inappropriately that day, and described his actions as “serious and egregious misconduct.”
Below is the handwritten letter that the girl's mother gave to WFLA News.
 |
| The Disturbing letter (Source - Daily Mail) |
After finding the letter, the Mitchell family quickly reported it to the local police department and school authorities
This led to an extensive investigation by both the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the school, looking into the disturbing claims.
After the investigation was launched, the teacher was quickly reassigned to a non-instructional role on March 10, 2025, where he wouldn’t be around students.
The teacher later sent in his resignation letter on April 23, 2025, and the school board officially accepted it on April 29, 2025.
“This is horrific,” said Manatee County School Board Chair Chad Choate, after a recent board meeting on the case.
Heather Felton, another member of the school board, praised the victim for having the courage to speak up about the teacher.
“I commend her bravery to speak up, because she has probably saved a lot of other children,” Felton said.
The victim’s father Jason Mitchell, however, said he was frustrated with the way the school handled the situation.
He told WFLA News that the teacher should have been fired immediately and should never have been allowed to resign on his own.
“To us, we felt termination was tougher language attached to somebody we would hope would never be in a classroom again,” said Jason Mitchell.
 |
| Ann and Jason Mitchell |
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that their investigation is still active, though the teacher has not yet been formally arrested and charged.
The teacher's identity has not been revealed because he has not been charged, and the victim's name has also not been disclosed to protect her privacy.
While speaking to WFLA News, the victims mother Ann Mitchell shared a sobering message to other parents:
“We are often as parents teaching our children to listen to teachers, to be respectful, to follow directions, so that’s what I taught my daughter,” she said.
“Come to find out that may or may not be the right lesson to teach our kids,” she added.
As the case unfolds, the community awaits answers—and justice for the young girl whose innocence was violated.
Remember, parenting apps like Scentry or Bark can help you monitor your child's online messages and activities.
These tools help you stay one step ahead of "friendly predators" like teachers, coaches, and others who may try to send disturbing letters like these to your loved ones who are minors.
For updates on this case and other true crime stories, sign up to our free newsletter and stay tuned to our blog for updates.
Sources
Comments
Post a Comment