Florida education commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas announced last week that he’d taken action to ensure a Pasco County teacher who “injected extremist political rhetoric into her mathematics classroom, taking advantage of her position of trust” would forever be banned from teaching.
In a complaint to the state education practices commission dated June 17, Kamoutsas said that Mary Hazel Washburn, then a math teacher at Land O’Lakes High School, told her class “‘Trump deserves a bullet through the head,’ or words to that effect” in late October.
Kamoutsas wrote on X that he wanted to ensure she’d never teach again.
“Teachers are entrusted with shaping young minds and must foster civil discourse,” he wrote. “Celebrating or encouraging violence is fundamentally inconsistent with that responsibility and will not be tolerated.”
A spokesperson for Pasco County schools said Washburn was employed from Jan. 8, 2024, to last Oct. 29. The spokesperson said school administrators heard about the comments shortly after they happened.
After an administrative review and Washburn acknowledging she made the comments, the district recommended firing her on Oct. 28. Washburn resigned Oct. 29, and the case was then reported to the state’s professional practices department. Washburn had no other disciplinary records during her time with the district, the spokesperson said.
“Pasco County Schools does not tolerate advocacy for violence in any form,” public information officer Jessica Meek said. “The district addressed the matter immediately upon becoming aware of the concern, and our commitment to student safety, professional conduct, and maintaining a positive learning environment remains a priority.”
Attempts to reach Washburn by phone Tuesday were unsuccessful.
The Education Practices Commission, comprised of parents, school administrators and other education and law enforcement officials, has the state’s final say on revoking teacher licenses. A hearing on Washburn has yet to be noticed.
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