JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Just like the tagline says, the News4JAX I-TEAM is all about uncovering untold stories and getting results.
This year was no different.
The I-TEAM investigated dozens of stories in 2023 that made an impact, and those stories were read hundreds of thousands of times on News4JAX.com.
Here are 10 of the most impactful stories we investigated in 2023:
Douglas Anderson scandals
In March, the Duval County School Police Department arrested Jeffrey Clayton, a longtime music teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, and accused him of lewd conduct involving a student.
Clayton’s arrest set off a series of investigations and accusations that issues at the school had been going on for years and had been swept under the rug. Under fire amid those investigations, Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene retired early and the search for her replacement is ongoing.
Series of Stories | 4th Douglas Anderson School of the Arts teacher removed from the classroom | Allegations from nearly 10 years ago led to the removal of Douglas Anderson department chair for second time | Letter from Douglas Anderson alumni asks that investigation look into possible financial links to teacher misconduct | State alleges DCPS failed to report Douglas Anderson sexual harassment incident | 140 former, current students asked to interview for ongoing investigations at Douglas Anderson | ‘My high school hell’: Letters from former Douglas Anderson students detail years of anguish involving accused teacher | City hiring outside counsel to investigate Douglas Anderson allegations, state reporting issues
Well-known entrepreneur accused of fraud
A well-known Jacksonville entrepreneur was accused of fraud, which has prompted her investors to file lawsuits with claims of bad business practices.
Janay White is the CEO of eight different companies in Jacksonville, including the J White Business Center, which offers credit repair services and credit education courses to customers.
MORE: Grandfather battling cancer among dozens who say they lost money investing with well-known Jacksonville entrepreneur | Investors say they paid hundreds for credit repair from well-known Jacksonville entrepreneur but ‘didn’t see results’
The Florida Attorney General’s office confirmed that it has received multiple fraud complaints against some of White’s businesses.
The News4JAX I-TEAM spoke with three different people who have invested a total of $100,000 in various ventures.
The I-TEAM also uncovered several eviction lawsuits connected to White.
White has denied the accusations against her.
Huge water bills at Westside mobile home park
What started as a complaint from one resident at a Westside mobile home park turned into a series of stories from the I-TEAM in 2023.
A local disabled veteran turned to the News4JAX I-TEAM after Three Seasons Mobile Home Village threatened to evict her if she didn’t pay a $2,200 water bill for her mobile home. Her bill was normally $30 a month.
The owner was previously investigated by the Ohio Department of Commerce after tenants there also complained of outrageous water bills.
The city and local lawmakers eventually stepped in and recommended the park owners be investigated by the State Attorney’s Office, but the owners sold the property.
The new owners eventually removed a big water bill for the disabled veteran.
Staycation pools saga
More than a dozen Jacksonville-area customers reached out to the I-TEAM this year to share their stories about a pool contractor who left them high and dry.
Customers of Staycation Pools & Spas said their pool builds were never finished or were abandoned by the company. Some had to cut their losses and hired another company to finish the job but others were stuck with costly holes in their backyards.
The license holder for the Tampa-based pool contractor, Jordan Hidalgo, was eventually ordered Tuesday to pay more than $155,000 in restitution for abandoning his projects and causing financial harm to his clients.
Hidalgo later gave up his contracting licenses after he faced more than 50 complaints that had been filed with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
But at least one veteran couple that hired the company had a happy ending when three companies worked together to finish their pool.
Judge orders changes at Westside apartment complex after I-TEAM story
Residents at Colonial Forest Apartments on the Westside came to the I-TEAM, saying they felt unsafe living there.
Multiple stairways and patios were condemned at the property on Firestone Road and one woman told News4JAX she nearly fell off her front porch because the patio floor caved in.
The stories about their issues led to some of the units being condemned and a lawsuit from the City of Jacksonville. A judge eventually ordered the owners to fix the issues, including trash pickup and pool maintenance.
It’s the same company that owns Northwood Apartments off Dunn Avenue where we’ve told you that residents are dealing with similar issues.
Woman says JSO forced its way into wrong apartment
A video obtained by News4JAX showed Jacksonville police entering a woman’s home, and she said it was a case of mistaken identity.
Khristi Jackson called for accountability after she said officers threw her on the ground and handcuffed her. She said police later questioned and released her after realizing they had the wrong person.
MORE | I-TEAM: Questions raised if woman’s civil rights were violated in case of mistaken identity
JSO later said Jackson had the same hair color as a shooting suspect.
JSO Sgt. comes under fire for racially insensitive tweets
A local pastor called for disciplinary action against a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office sergeant for social media posts that some said were racially insensitive and discriminatory.
After we found out about the posts, News4JAX confronted JSO Gang Unit Sgt. Douglas Howell about the tweets that caught the attention of then-candidates for Jacksonville sheriff.
Howell eventually got a new assignment patrolling the Northside following a months-long internal investigation, but he wasn’t demoted from his position.
According to his internal affairs report, Howell admitted to posting numerous racist and disparaging remarks on social media, about Black people, Mexicans and members of the LGBTQ community.
A local Black pastor and a law enforcement nonprofit expressed disappointment with Howell’s punishment.
I-TEAM investigation into squatters leads to legislation
Lawmakers in Tallahassee are taking action to address squatting after a loophole in the law that made it harder to evict unwanted guests than it would for lawful tenants.
House Bill 621 is inspired by the story of Jacksonville homeowners who said squatters wreaked havoc on their property and destroyed the home’s interior, which cost them tens of thousands of dollars.
RELATED | Jacksonville homeowner says squatters refuse to leave her rental; occupants say they can be there | Jacksonville squatters finally evicted from home after 40 days leave behind $15K in damage, owners say
Patti Peeples told the I-TEAM that a woman moved into her rental property in March and refused to leave.
She said the squatters told police they were victims of a rental scam, signing a lease with someone named Christopher after they found the house for rent on Zillow.
Peeples and her business partner sold the rental house in June. Peeples said the squatters cost them more than $50,000 between attorneys’ fees, lost rent, and damage.
Tow company accused of ‘preying’ on residents of St. Johns County neighborhood
People living in The Gables at Wingfield Glen, a gated community of townhomes in St. Johns County, told the I-TEAM they are fed up with finding their cars missing from their driveways.
They say trucks from ASAP Towing patrol their St. Augustine neighborhood looking for even the slightest violation of the parking rules created by the Homeowners Association (HOA).
Stephanie Leahy said the towing is so bad in The Gables, that she is afraid to have any visitors after her relative’s car was nearly towed during the summer when they parked in a handicap spot in the visitor parking lot.
JSO drops jail health care provider amid questions surrounding deaths
The family of a Jacksonville man told the I-TEAM he died last year after going two days in the Duval County jail without the medication he needed to survive.
Police video showed Dexter Berry, 54, repeatedly telling the arresting officer he needed his medication because he was a heart transplant recipient.
Records confirmed he never got the medicine he needed.
His death brought new scrutiny to Armor Correctional, the health care provider at the Duval County jail.
Armor Correctional Health Services, is now under investigation by the state for failing to report past criminal convictions against the company, which is required by Florida law.
The News4JAX I-TEAM also learned more about the company’s $98 million no-bid contract with the City of Jacksonville, which was signed in November, just weeks after the company’s felony convictions in connection with an inmate’s death in Wisconsin.
JSO later announced it terminated the contract with Armor Health. JSO then brought in health care provider NaphCare, which also has a history of scandals.