Judge rules Walton Academy must shut after safety issues breach FL state and US safety laws
A US District Court judge has ruled that Walton Academy for the Performing Arts in Tampa must close immediately, following safety violations that breached both Florida and federal safety regulations.The order came after the Hillsborough County school district filed for an injunction to halt the school’s operations. Despite the school board voting to revoke the charter earlier in the week, Walton Academy remained open for two more days.Legal hearing confirms immediate threat to student safetyIn a virtual hearing, US District Judge Helene Daniel reviewed testimony from several officials, including Walton Academy principal Tanika Walton, Hillsborough school district’s security major Zamir Ode, and the district’s chief of school security John Newman. Based on the evidence presented, the judge stated there was an “ongoing threat” to students’ safety, as reported by the MSN.According to the court, safety violations included open gates, cluttered designated shelter areas, and non-functioning emergency alert systems. These issues were flagged in a letter from the Florida Department of Education, prompting the school board’s vote to close the school.“The students are actually not currently safe; that there’s an ongoing threat to these children,” Judge Daniel stated during the hearing, as quoted by the MSN.District says safety concerns persist despite claimed fixesThe Hillsborough County School Board voted to revoke Walton Academy’s charter after receiving the state’s letter highlighting repeated and uncorrected safety issues. The district argued that Walton Academy had a long-standing pattern of non-compliance.A lawyer representing the district said that “too little, too late” efforts were made by the school following the board’s decision, as reported by the MSN. The district also argued that legal action was not required to enforce the board’s immediate decision.Security major Zamir Ode testified that every audit conducted at the school revealed deficiencies. “Everybody has a bad day, a bad audit, but it seems like every single audit has deficiencies,” Ode said, according to the MSN.School claims violations were fixed before hearingWalton Academy’s legal representative John Leombruno argued that all listed safety concerns had been addressed prior to the hearing and that some fixes were completed while inspectors were present. However, he stated that none of these corrections were formally documented. He maintained that the school no longer posed a danger.Principal Tanika Walton told the judge that safety was now a top priority and had been communicated to staff. She stated that monthly topics were assigned to staff members, and while the previous focus was on bullying, safety would be the central topic moving forward.Parents notified and student transfers underwayThe Hillsborough County charter school office has reached out to all Walton Academy families. More than 110 students remained enrolled at the time of the hearing, while eight had already transferred to other schools. The district confirmed that it is tracking the placement of every affected student.As reported by the MSN, the judge said the school retains the right to appeal, and an appeal hearing is scheduled for early November. However, she concluded that allowing the school to remain open during the appeal process posed unacceptable risks.“Every second does count,” Judge Daniel said, according to the MSN. “The court is unwilling to take a chance that something may happen for which you are completely unprepared.”Programmes offered at Walton AcademyWalton Academy for the Performing Arts offered a range of programmes including:• Music• Dance• Drama• Visual Arts• Academic support services• After-school enrichment activitiesThese programmes are now suspended following the court’s ruling.
