Duval County Public Schools police discovered a loaded firearm inside Principal Michael Smith’s vehicle while it was parked on school grounds in September.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Duval County School Board voted Monday to fire a school principal following an investigation into a loaded gun found inside his vehicle on campus in September.
Michael Smith, principal of Baldwin Middle-Senior High School, had been reassigned to his home after DCPS police located the firearm in his parked car. Under Florida Statute 790.115, bringing a loaded firearm onto school property is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor.
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Authorities began investigating after receiving an anonymous tip on Sept. 15 claiming Smith had a gun in his vehicle on school grounds. Officers found the weapon inside the car’s center console, according to DCPS. Officials said the firearm was loaded and kept in a holster, but investigators found no indication that Smith intended to threaten or harm anyone at the school.
Court records indicate the charge related to possessing a weapon on school property was initially filed as a second-degree misdemeanor. It was dismissed Nov. 5 after Smith completed a pretrial intervention program.
Baldwin Middle-Senior High School had already lost its previous principal in June, when he was arrested on allegations that he failed to report suspected child abuse involving a former teacher. Dr. Bernier, along with the district’s deputy and regional superintendents, will lead the school until a permanent replacement is selected.
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