My name is Alexandra, and I'm on the Civic Engagement team at Change.org. Our team works to connect petition starters and supporters with the public officials who have the power to act on the issues you care about.

We spoke with a School Board Member for Seminole County, about the petition calling for the resignation of Superintendent Serita Beamon.

The member emphasized that some of the claims circulating in the community are factually inaccurate and that several issues remain under active investigation by both the school district and the Sheriff’s Office. Because of these ongoing investigations, not all documents or reports have been released, and board members are limited in what they can share publicly.

They confirmed that the incident involving a paraprofessional making threats was handled immediately and appropriately. The paraprofessional self-reported dangerous thoughts about a student, which were immediately escalated to the School Resource Officer. The student’s parent was notified the same day, as required by law, and the employee was removed from the classroom and placed in a medical facility. Law enforcement and the district are both investigating the case.

The Board clarified that no students or staff were ever in danger, as confirmed by the district’s threat-assessment system, which works in coordination with the Sheriff’s Office. Neither a “code yellow” nor “code red” alert was issued.

They acknowledged that there was a communication failure, noting that while officials knew the threat had been neutralized on September 24, families did not receive that information promptly. “We knew the kids were safe — but families didn’t. That’s where we failed.”

The district is now reviewing its internal communication processes to prevent similar confusion and to ensure parents receive timely, accurate updates in the future. The goal is to rebuild trust by being transparent and responsive while the investigations continue.

Thank you for your advocacy on this issue. 

Best,

Alexandra @ Change.org