A Florida-based substitute teacher has been dismissed from her position and taken into custody following allegations of inciting violence among her students. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrest report outlines the events of February 12, which resulted in the termination of Geaneane White, 57, from her role at the YMCA Tiger Academy in Jacksonville.
The police report indicates that White had asked her students to form small groups. When one boy declined, White’s frustration reportedly escalated. She then allegedly asked the rest of the class who could “beat him up.” According to the arrest report, four students raised their hands and subsequently assaulted the boy, purportedly at White’s instigation.
The report further alleges that after the students had finished attacking the boy, White herself physically assaulted him. She is accused of pushing him into his desk and grabbing him by his shirt collar, causing him difficulty in breathing. She then allegedly yanked him down to his seat, causing him to hit the back of his head on another desk.
Following the incident, White reportedly sought help from two other school employees, stating that the child required “behavior intervention.” She did not disclose her alleged role in instigating the other students to assault the boy.
However, when these employees spoke with other students in White’s class, they were informed of the alleged beatings that White had supposedly encouraged. As a result, White was immediately dismissed and escorted from the premises.
The police report noted that the boy had a minor cut and bruises around his ear. The YMCA Tiger Academy confirmed the incident and White’s subsequent dismissal following an internal investigation in a statement to local media outlets WTLV-WJXX. The school also stated that White had been thoroughly vetted by both the First Coast YMCA and Duval County Public Schools.
White was arrested on March 1 and charged with felony child abuse and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child. She was released on March 6 after posting bail, with her next court appearance scheduled for March 25.