JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A social studies teacher at Baldwin Middle-Senior High School accused of exchanging emotionally intimate emails with a student pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two charges.
James Mulvey, 47, appeared in court for his arraignment. He did not address the court, but his attorney did. He is out on bond while he awaits trial.
Mulvey’s attorney entered pleas of not guilty to one count of offenses against students by authority figures and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
Mulvey will be back in court on Aug. 18, and a trial date was tentatively set for January 2027.
Attorneys for both the defense and state said they are waiting on information from the school, including statements from teachers and students and a flash drive that police currently have.
Arrest report details
Mulvey was taken into custody by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on May 22.
Shortly after that, News4JAX obtained the arrest report for Mulvey, which shed light on what deputies say led to his arrest on two felony charges involving a student at Baldwin.
Detectives say emails were exchanged between Mulvey and a girl through their school email accounts. According to the arrest report, Mulvey wrote to the victim:
“I won’t forget about you. I don’t want to forget about you. I won’t replace you, I don’t want to replace you. My heart remains open to you and will stay that way for as long as you allow me to be a part of your life. And I will happily say that whenever you need to hear it sweetheart.”
According to the report, a second email from Mulvey read: “I love you too, baby. You’re my girl. I’m not going anyplace. Thank you for being my person.”
The arrest report states that as the school year drew to a close, Mulvey asked the girl to share her personal email address so they could continue communicating over the summer.
How the investigation unfolded
The investigation began after a concerned student brought a series of emails between Mulvey and the girl to the attention of school officials.
Police say multiple students provided written statements describing what they characterized as an unusual relationship between the teacher and the student, including gifts and special attention.
JSO Special Assault Unit detectives responded to the girl’s home May 21, where she disclosed the ongoing relationship with Mulvey in a recorded interview, according to the arrest report.
Mulvey was interviewed by detectives and waived his right to have an attorney present and agreed to speak with investigators.
According to the arrest report, Mulvey admitted to having an ongoing relationship with the girl, saying he loves her and views her as a daughter.
Police say he denied any sexual intent but acknowledged having “poor judgement” in his communications with her.
‘The Mulvey Files’
In the days following the arrest, students began circulating what one student called “The Mulvey Files” — a Google Drive compiling what appeared to be inappropriate emails exchanged between Mulvey and a student.
News4JAX reviewed portions of the website but is not publishing the contents of the messages because the investigation is ongoing and the student involved may be a minor.
The student who created the website said the goal was to organize information already circulating among students.
“I want people to see the things that he was saying and doing,” the student told News4JAX.
The student previously had Mulvey as a teacher and described him as someone students generally trusted.
“He was the chill teacher who everyone thought of as a ‘dad,’” the student said.
The student who reviewed the alleged messages said they initially tried to interpret the conversations as innocent before becoming alarmed.
“I was trying to play it off as a father-daughter relationship,” the student said. “But after I read through them, it was like, ‘OK, this is weird.’”
School responds, district reassigns Mulvey
In a message sent to families, Principal Mike Townsend described the allegations as “deeply concerning” while emphasizing that Mulvey is presumed innocent as investigations continue.
Townsend told parents Mulvey had been removed from campus and reassigned to a position without student contact, pending both a criminal investigation and an internal district investigation.
Townsend has since been arrested himself on a charge of failing to report child abuse. He was also reassigned during the internal personnel investigation.
A day after Townsend’s arrest, News4JAX confirmed that the case is connected to the ongoing investigation involving Mulvey.
According to his arrest report, investigators concluded Townsend failed to immediately report suspected abuse, neglect or sexual abuse, and he was booked on June 29.
Duval County Public Schools confirmed Mulvey remained employed by the district but was reassigned away from students while the investigations are active.
DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier was asked about the arrests at Baldwin during a news conference on Tuesday.
“We have now begun to send the really correct message where knowing the line was not followed,” he said.
“It’s a very difficult decision for a superintendent. But I promised when I got here that I would operate with integrity, and my integrity tells me that when somebody violates that responsibility for calling DCF and making sure DCF is informed, then I have a responsibility to our community to demonstrate that I’m gonna keep the school safe,” he added, appearing to reference Principal Townsend.
The DCPS “Know the Line” initiative is a safety campaign launched in 2024 to establish clear boundaries between staff and students, prevent employee misconduct, and provide reporting tools.