Sarasota Pine View Teacher Liz Ballard Says She Will Fight State Bid to Sanction Her License at a Formal Hearing

Elizabeth "Liz" Ballard, the Pine View School history teacher whom Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier accused in September of targeting a conservative eighth-grader, says she will contest the state's effort to discipline her teaching license. She expects the case to go to a formal hearing, where she can call witnesses. "Well, first of all, you don't let the bullies win, ever," Ballard told WUSF in an interview published Nov. 6.

The Florida Department of Education, under Education Commissioner Henry Mack, has recommended sanctions that could range from a letter of reprimand to revoking her license to teach in Florida. Ballard, who has taught for about 20 years, denies that she overreacted or treated the student unfairly. None of the state's allegations has been decided by a judge or the state's educator discipline panel.

What the state alleges

In a letter dated Oct. 22, Mack's office notified Ballard that the department was pursuing disciplinary action, according to reporting by Suncoast Searchlight and The Daily Sun that was published by WUSF on Oct. 27. The department alleges that Ballard discriminated against a student because of his political views, rejected those views, and encouraged him to discuss controversial topics against his parents' wishes.

The letter cites seven incidents over the past two school years, all involving the student and his younger brother, who also attends Pine View, the reports said. According to the letter, the incidents involved what it called "controversial political topics" outside the curriculum, including illegal immigration, abortion, domestic violence, slavery reparations and "modern divorce laws." In one case described in the letter, a classroom discussion of immigration two years ago, the department says Ballard "shut down the class debate" after the student made comments she found offensive. The department also alleges that she discussed both brothers' behavior with other teachers. The letter cites violations of Florida's code of conduct for educators.

Pine View School, in Osprey, is part of Sarasota County Schools and serves gifted students.

How the dispute began

District records reviewed by Suncoast Searchlight trace the conflict to October 2024, when the student made abortion-related comments in Ballard's U.S. history class. District documents and interviews describe the student making remarks in class about beating up women and saying he favors abortion if a fetus is female, WUSF reported. The district's records redact the comment itself.

Ballard's account in the district file says she told the student abortion was not part of the curriculum and then called his parents, who mentioned clips of the online influencer Andrew Tate that their son had been watching. She later emailed the student about comments she found offensive. The student was withdrawn from her class the following month. Over roughly 18 months, his parents met repeatedly with the principal and sent the superintendent what they called a formal retaliation letter, according to the records.

Principal Stephen Covert told district investigators the episodes were a series of small incidents that did not warrant a large response at the time, according to the records. He referred the matter to human resources after the parents indicated they might take legal action.

Suncoast Searchlight reported that the records point to the family of Lon Deckard, the student's grandfather, a business owner whom Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed to the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota District Board of Trustees. Deckard is a Republican donor. The records do not show whether he was involved in the complaints. He did not respond to requests for comment, and the family declined to comment, the outlet reported.

The district's investigations

Sarasota County Schools has investigated Ballard four times, according to a letter that school board attorney Patrick Duggan sent to the attorney general's office in late September, as described by WUSF:

In the first case, the district's investigator found no evidence that Ballard acted with ill intent. The investigator did find a heightened focus on the student's behavior and concluded the family could reasonably see her response as disproportionate. In the May case, the district found no evidence that Ballard knowingly gave false information, but concluded her allegation was unfounded. The Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association has contested the five-day suspension on her behalf. Suncoast Searchlight reported that the first case was the first human resources investigation Ballard had faced in more than 20 years of teaching.

The attorney general steps in

The case became public on Sept. 21, when Uthmeier posted on X a letter he had sent to the Sarasota County superintendent. Uthmeier wrote that his office had been informed that Ballard labeled a student a misogynist and disparaged the student's father, and that if the allegations were true, she should be fired and her teaching certificate revoked. In his post, he said she had tried to "cancel" the student. He asked the district to respond by Oct. 1.

Superintendent Terry Connor said every student deserves a classroom where they feel safe, respected and free to learn, and the district said it would review its records and respond. Jason Means, president of the teachers union, criticized Uthmeier for publicly naming Ballard while the district's process was still underway. Uthmeier later said at a stop in Sarasota that the state education department would take up the matter and that he was not involved in the details, WUSF reported.

Ballard's side

In the WUSF interview, Ballard said she could not say much about the case but argued that the district's investigative documents tell a fairly complete story. She said eighth-grade boys often try to provoke a reaction, but that this was some of the most egregious eighth-grade behavior she had seen. "There were some horrific, vile comments being made," she said. "If I didn't correct it, I wouldn't be doing my job."

"I'm being painted as this crazy liberal teacher, and that's not really the case," Ballard said. She said she handled the situation calmly and only wanted the behavior to stop. She also said she regretted not writing a disciplinary referral when the abortion comment was made, explaining that she had not wanted to put a lasting mark on a student's record.

Ballard has already served the three-day suspension, and she has been reassigned to a job at district headquarters. She said she is undecided about returning to the classroom, but that the support she has received is a reason to consider it. "I believe in public education," she said, adding that she believes in Sarasota County Public Schools and in Pine View.

How the hearing process works

Under the Department of Education's letter, Ballard had 21 days to choose a path: dispute the complaint and request a formal hearing, negotiate a settlement, ask for an informal hearing, or voluntarily surrender her license. Under the department's educator discipline process, a formal hearing is the route for educators who dispute the facts. The case goes to an administrative law judge at the state Division of Administrative Hearings, who takes testimony and evidence and issues a recommended order with findings and a proposed penalty, or none.

That recommendation then goes to the Education Practices Commission, the state panel that issues final orders in educator discipline cases. The commission can accept or reject the recommendation in whole or in part. Its final order can dismiss the case or impose penalties up to suspension or revocation of a certificate, and it can be appealed to a state appeals court.

What's next

Ballard told WUSF she plans to fight the sanctions, and she said a formal hearing will give people who witnessed the events a chance to tell what happened. The article did not say whether she had formally filed her request. No hearing date has been reported. The union's appeal of her five-day district suspension and the district's fourth investigation also remain pending. The Department of Education and Sarasota County Schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the state's case when it was first reported in October.