Florida Middle School Teacher Arrested After Organizing Fight Club In Her Classroom Between Children

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A woman identified as a teacher at Griffin Middle School in Tallahassee is facing charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor for what court documents obtained by WCTV call an alleged role in organized fights in her classroom.

The documents note a School Resource Deputy was alerted on March 24 that students were being allowed to fight in 23-year-old Angel Footman’ classroom. School administrators were also shown videos purported to show several of the alleged fights taking place between March 22 and March 23.

According to the documents, several sixth-grade girls told detectives that they participated in planned fights during school hours, and they allege they were invited back for additional fights. They also reported that Footman made statements including “30 seconds, no screaming, no yelling, no phones.”

A detective indicates in a probable cause affidavit that he reviewed videos and identified Footman sitting on her desk, failing to intervene, and making statements including “no screaming, no nothing” and “stop pulling hair.” The document also said no records of Footman reporting the fights to administrators were found.

Footman told investigators she did not organize fights in any way, but failed to call for help or take quick action to stop the altercations or report them to administrators, according to court documents. She now faces four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Footman’s name appears in a recent Leon County Sheriff’s Office booking report, but no mug shot was included. Instead, online records for the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office indicate Footman was booked there on Friday.

According to online court records, an arraignment is scheduled for May 4.

WCTV is working to get more information from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and Leon County Schools.