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State panel suspends former Clay teacher’s certificate

Eric Cravey
Posted 8/2/17

TALLAHASSEE – The State of Florida Education Practices Commission has suspended the teaching certificate of a former Clay County teacher almost two years after his arrest on armed burglary and …

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State panel suspends former Clay teacher’s certificate


Posted

TALLAHASSEE – The State of Florida Education Practices Commission has suspended the teaching certificate of a former Clay County teacher almost two years after his arrest on armed burglary and armed trespassing charges.

In the Commission’s order filed June 5, Jason Scott Lipsitz, 38, formerly of Middleburg, is prohibited from employment with any Florida public school district “in any capacity requiring direct contact with students for the duration of the suspension period.” When he was arrested October 19, 2015, Lipsitz – then a teacher at Lake Asbury Junior High where he was certified to teach English and English for Speakers of Other Languages – was placed on administrative leave.

The ruling was handed down June 2 after a teacher hearing panel of the Education Practices Commission accepted terms of a settlement agreement that both Lipsitz and Education Commissioner Pam Stewart entered into regarding the allegations.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Lipsitz after his former girlfriend told police that he went to her home on October 19, 2015 on Khaki Court in Orange Park South, went into her unlocked vehicle and removed her .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun from her purse. The woman also told police that she and her boyfriend observed Lipsitz walk behind the house with her gun in his hand and out of the holster while stating, “You shouldn’t have left your van unlocked, I have your gun.”

The victim told police she shut the blinds when Lipsitz attempted to look in through the windows. She said he then walked into her open garage and allegedly stuck his head through a doggy door to look into the home he once shared with the victim.

When officers finally stopped Lipsitz blocks away on County Road 220 after he fled the scene, he admitted he was at his ex-girlfriend’s house and went on to tell police, “I’m done now, I won’t go back there ever again,” states the CCSO report.

Part of the settlement agreement handed down by the Education Practices Commission also requires Lipsitz to take part in the Florida Department of Education’s Recovery Network Program, which “was established in 1994 to help educators obtain assistance due to impairments related to drug, alcohol and/or mental health issues,” according to the FDOE website.

According to records filed with the Clay County Clerk of Court, Fourth Circuit Judge Don H. Lester withheld adjudication on Lipsitz and, instead of prison, sentenced him to 24 months of probation and entry into the Mental Health Court of Broward County, where Lipsitz now resides. Judge Lester sentenced Lipsitz to probation on June 6, 2016 after he pled guilty to the charges, the same date the Clay County School District accepted his resignation.

And while Lipsitz was placed on a two-year suspension, he is not prohibited from renewing his Florida teaching certificate, according to the Settlement Agreement. According to FDOE records, his certificate was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2016.

After completing the Recovery Network Program, Lipsitz is required to provide the FDOE written verification that he completed the counseling program.

Lipsitz did not return phone calls made to him before deadline.

In Florida, as in most states, certified educators are held to high standards of conduct and professionalism.

“The Principles of Professional Conduct represent the guideposts of what professional educators and members of the community can and should expect from educators. They also serve as a reminder to the educator that there are obligations and expectations associated with the profession,” states the Commission’s website.