Nikki Bradley, a former assistant principal at Apalachee Tapestry Magnet School of the Arts in the Leon County Schools district, has been reprimanded, demoted, and will no longer be joining the school where she was reassigned after complaints about one of her Facebook posts, despite an investigation into her post concluding that it was “not meant to be divisive or hurtful nor racially motivated.”
Before the start of school, Bradley posted the following message to her personal Facebook page:
“For a while now, I have felt like Ringmaster of the shitshow. Today has done me in! I do not want to be ringmaster, someone come get the monkeys and all the circus friends.
#exhausted #goawaycovid #imgoingtobed”
Several people in the local community complained about the posts including local politicians such as City Commissioner Curtis Richardson and Mayor Pro Tem Dianne Williams-Cox who described the post as “disturbing.”
Following the complaints, Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna said that he was notified of the “inappropriate” post late last week by Leon County Schools Assistant Superintendent for Labor and Employer Relations Deana McAllister and a school administrator.
McAllister then conducted an investigation into the post and “it was determined that the post was not meant to be divisive or hurtful nor racially motivated.” McAllister also urged people to note that there are “multiple sides to a story” and that “school had not yet begun.”
But despite reaching this conclusion, Bradley still faced a reprimand, demotion, and will no longer be joining Killearn Lakes Elementary School which she had initially been reassigned to. Bradley will also be issuing a formal apology.
“We understand the severity of words and how they can be hurtful,” McAllister said. “Her post showed a lack of professionalism and poor judgment. As a result, formal discipline has been issued.”
Related: ? Some practical ways to protect yourself from cancel culture
Bradley joins the growing list of people who have been fired or pressured to resign over their personal social media posts in recent weeks.
