A Florida principal was suspended after a Fetty Wap lyric appeared beneath her title within the faculty’s yearbook — regardless of her insistence that she by no means wrote it.
Katie O’Connell, principal of Trout Creek Academy in St. Johns County, was positioned on paid administrative go away Could 20 whereas the district investigates allegations of “inappropriate conduct” tied to a quote printed on the primary web page of the college’s 2025-26 yearbook.
“Everyone hatin’, we simply name them followers although! — Mrs. O’Connell,” the quote learn.
The road comes from rapper Fetty Wap’s 2015 hit “Entice Queen,” a tune that features references to drug dealing and strip golf equipment.
The investigation started when a dad or mum complained to Superintendent Dr. Brennan Asplen and known as the quote “inappropriate and unprofessional” for a Okay-8 faculty chief, Jacksonville outlet News4JAX reported.
“A principal represents management, maturity, and professionalism,” the dad or mum wrote. “Referring to criticism or involved mother and father as ‘haters’ in a faculty publication sends the flawed message to kids and households.”
However emails and interviews included within the district’s investigation recommend O’Connell might not have recognized the quote was included.
The varsity’s yearbook instructor mentioned O’Connell reviewed the yearbook earlier than publication and that the quote was not current within the closing proof she noticed.
“Katherine O’Connell was not conscious that quote was going for use within the 2025-2026 faculty yearbook,” the instructor wrote. “Ms. O’Connell wasn’t conscious that quote was used till the yearbooks arrived.”
When questioned by investigators, the instructor mentioned, “The quote might not have been there. When Ms. O’Connell reviewed it with me, she talked about her quote was not there. I discussed it to the scholars who will need to have then put it in.”
Assistant Principal Samantha Sawruk additionally defended O’Connell, writing that directors helped proofread the yearbook earlier than submission and that the quote didn’t seem on the web page at the moment.
“The quote on the primary web page … was not there throughout the proofreading performed on April 9,” Sawruk wrote.
She additionally famous that the quote was attributed to “Mrs. O’Connell,” whereas the principal sometimes indicators communications as “Ms. O.”
O’Connell has denied deciding on or approving the lyric.
“I authorized the yearbook twice on April 9, and so did my assistant principal, and that quote in that space was not even within the e-book,” she mentioned.
She mentioned mother and father by no means contacted her immediately earlier than taking complaints to district officers, social media and native information shops.
“All I wanted was the time or the chance to have mounted an error that was made, and it wasn’t made by me,” O’Connell mentioned.
In keeping with district paperwork, O’Connell was knowledgeable she could be positioned on paid administrative go away and barred from faculty district property, Motion Information Jax repoted.
A separate letter acknowledged the district was transferring towards not reappointing her for the 2026-27 faculty yr.
On Tuesday, Trout Creek Academy’s PTO introduced retired educator Dr. Patrick Carmichael as interim principal whereas the investigation continues.
