Two Manatee Teachers Under Criminal Investigation for Inappropriate Conduct With Students; Legal Action Filed Against District
Two separate criminal investigations involving former teachers in the School District of Manatee County have led to mounting concerns from families and legal action against the district, as allegations emerge of inappropriate communications with students and failures in district response protocols.
The most recent case involves Oliver Fell, a former Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher at Haile Middle School. Fell was arrested on June 2, 2025, and charged with lewd conduct with a student by an authority figure and the transmission of harmful material to a minor. According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the alleged misconduct involved months of inappropriate messages and explicit images sent via social media, dating back to December 2024.
Attorneys from Mallard Perez PLLC, representing the student involved, say the mother raised concerns months earlier, but school officials allegedly responded by suspending the student rather than investigating the teacher. The firm claims the district’s inaction exposed other students to risk and caused additional trauma to the victim. They are now issuing a public call for anyone with information about Fell’s behavior to come forward.
A second family is also working with Mallard Perez after their daughter, a fifth grader at Gullett Elementary School, received a two-page handwritten letter from her teacher, Jarrett Williams. The letter reportedly contained emotionally inappropriate content, ending with the teacher’s name signed “Love,” and instructions to keep the note secret. A capias for cyberstalking and harassment has been submitted to the State Attorney’s Office, which is currently reviewing the case.
Williams resigned while under investigation by the district’s Office of Professional Standards. The School Board formally approved his resignation on April 29. Fell was terminated by unanimous vote at the School Board’s June 10 meeting.
In both cases, a notice of intent to pursue legal action has been filed against the Manatee County School Board. Attorney Damian Mallard, speaking on behalf of the families, emphasized the broader implications for school safety, stating that educators entrusted with vulnerable children must be held to the highest standards—and that the district must act swiftly to remove any that fall short.
School Board Chairman Chad Choate acknowledged the failures but expressed that he does not believe there is a systemic issue within the district. He noted that the board is working on safety-related improvements over the summer, including policy reforms on how allegations are handled.
The School District of Manatee County issued a statement confirming full cooperation with law enforcement and noted that both teachers were removed from classroom settings after the reports were filed. The district has referred both individuals to the Florida Department of Education for review of their teaching certifications.
As investigations continue and legal proceedings begin, families and advocates are calling for increased transparency, accountability, and safeguards to ensure students are protected from future harm.