JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The principal of Baldwin Middle-Senior High School was arrested on Monday on a charge of failing to report child abuse, according to Duval County Public Schools.
Principal Michael Townsend, who was reassigned during the internal personnel investigation in early June, faces a third-degree felony.
The school district did not provide any further details and directed all questions to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
JSO and the State Attorney’s Office said they determined there was sufficient evidence to issue an arrest warrant for Townsend, who bonded out of jail on Tuesday morning.
In Florida, everyone is considered a “mandatory reporter” for suspected child abuse, but school principals also fall under the category of professional mandated reporters, who are legally obligated to report known abuse and must identify themselves when reporting.
LEARN MORE: Who needs to report child abuse, what should be reported & how do you report it?
According to DCPS, the following message was sent to parents and guardians:
Dear Baldwin families,
This is Regional Superintendent Tim Simmons with a very important update regarding Mr. Townsend.
This morning, we were made aware that Mr. Townsend was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on the charge of failure to report child abuse, which is a third-degree felony.
While news like this is difficult to share, especially when it involves a former school leader, it is important that we remain transparent with our school communities. Please know the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. If you have any questions about the criminal investigation, you may contact JSO directly.
Thank you for your continued support of the Baldwin community.
Tim Simmons, High School Regional Superintendent
We’ve reached out to JSO for more information about the events that led to the arrest.
It comes about a month after teacher James Mulvey was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on a felony charge involving a student.
Detectives say in that case, emails were exchanged between Mulvey and a juvenile victim through their school email accounts.
The district did not say whether the cases were related.