PORT ORANGE, Florida (WESH / CNN) – Volusia United Educators President Elizabeth Albert made it clear that when longtime teacher Brian Wheeler mowed the bare yard of his Port Orange home in 2017, he made a very bad decision.
The neighbor, who Wheeler believes has problems with him anyway, recorded Wheeler and filed a complaint with the police. Wheeler was charged with exposing genitals and hooliganism.
The whistle-blowing charge was dropped and the public disorder was dismissed in an agreement to defer the prosecution. Wheeler was not found guilty of the crime.
“This is someone who has been successfully teaching history to children in our community for over two decades,” said Albert.
Wheeler was a full-time teacher of impeccable reputation at Cypress Elementary when he was fired from his job. According to documents provided by the teachers’ union, many parents and colleagues supported him.
However, a handful of families with young children did not.
School district officials, who reprimanded Wheeler in writing along with the demotion, refused to reconsider their decision. In addition to Volusia County, the State Department of Education conducted an investigation and in May found the likely cause in Wheeler’s case for disciplinary action. The complaint will be reviewed in October.
However, Albert said a settlement has been reached and the October hearings will confirm this agreement.
According to Albert and the documents, Wheeler will be fined but retain his teaching skills.
“From this it follows that they believe that he is still of the level that can work with our children and teach,” explained Albert.
Albert said that since the school district has so far refused to do so, the union will act as an arbiter on Wheeler’s behalf.