Florida schools superintendent who defied DeSantis on COVID masks is ousted

The 3-2 vote to terminate the contract of Carlee Simon came late Tuesday night by the Alachua County school board.

GAINESVILLE — A Florida school superintendent who defied Gov. Ron DeSantis on pandemic masks for students has been fired by the local school board.

The 3-2 vote to terminate the contract of Carlee Simon came late Tuesday night by the Alachua County school board.

A key vote for termination was that of board member Mildred Russell, who was appointed in August by the Republican governor to replace a member who did not live within her district.

In a statement prior to the vote, Simon called it retribution for her stance against DeSantis and his opposition to mask mandates in Florida schools. Alachua County was one of about a dozen districts that risked loss of state funding by requiring masks during the coronavirus pandemic.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2022/03/02/florida-schools-superintendent-who-defied-desantis-on-covid-masks-is-ousted/